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solution for defy earpiece problem (for device not under warranty)

I fixed my defy earpiece problem which was getting dead again and again.
I found that there is a defect in the design of speaker.
Connection point on the speaker is so tiny and is not sufficient to make good and reliable contact with main board.
Solution:----
Dont do this unless you are good confident that you can reassemble the device and ready to take risk.
take a small piece of aluminum masking tape cut it in two tiny pieces and apply those pieces on both the speaker's connection point and you are set.
reassemble your phone and enjoy..
Important :---Defy's speaker is stick on front housing proper care is required while removing it.
Disassembling video of defy MB525
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uSH1UuEOvI

still thinking of getting one...but it scares me knowing the problems..
good video!

the earpiece problemis solved in newer batches of the phone.
its pretty unlikely to buy one that still has the issue.
and even if you get so unlucky, its covered by the warranty.

Motorola did no recall of affected stock and there is still plenty out there with faulty earpiece.

SimboXXX said:
Motorola did no recall of affected stock and there is still plenty out there with faulty earpiece.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With a possible faulty earpiece.
I've got one of the "old" models and been using it for 3 months now - and the earpiece is still working like a charm.

Also using an "old" defy for three months now - no problems yet.

for the ones using old defy without problem.. one question.. have you used the wired handsfree headset? cause some say that it caused the earpiece connector to fail..
I myself haven't used my wired handsfree. with the consequence of unable to use the fm radio..

arixal said:
for the ones using old defy without problem.. one question.. have you used the wired handsfree headset?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like, basically every day, yes.

btw, on our russian disscussion board we found that earpiece is replaceble with sony-erricson's earpieces with lightly moding. phone is still sealed from water earpiece itself could not surviwe after swimming )

@feroz2u
Thank you
@Fedor,
What type of SE earpieces might be compatible with defy after a little modding ?

Mine is also 3 months old and have no problem so far. But I'm really curious as to exactly when they began shipping the re designed stock of defy. I want to know if the earpiece failure is still potential in my defy.
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

mute
activating and deacticating the mute button solved the problem on my device. i will report if that holds after a few phone calls in the next days. can somebody else confirm this solution?

i can confirme that this was the first method i used before sending the device to Motorola, it works only a few days this way, the tendence is that the problem will grow up more and more.

mine allso had some problems with the earspeaker after a good wash under the tap. the sound was very low. but after 5 minutes it worked just fine.
some body else had that problem?

Lemark said:
Mine is also 3 months old and have no problem so far. But I'm really curious as to exactly when they began shipping the re designed stock of defy. I want to know if the earpiece failure is still potential in my defy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a long thread about this on the Motorola support forum for the Defy. The official advice buried in there is:
If you remove the battery you should see a label inside the battery compartment with a bar code and the words "Made in China". If the characters above "Made in China" include "BTxx" or "BFxx" then the phone should not be at risk of suffering the earpiece problem. Alternatively, if there is a blue dot on the label then the phone should also not be at risk.
Note that I say "at risk" - not having "BTxx" or "BFxx" or a blue dot does not mean that your phone is broken. My phone does not have any of those reassuring markings but the earpiece has been fine so far, touch wood.
Bear in mind that there can be other reasons for the earpiece to fail, over and above the known fault which Motorola have acknowleged. So even a phone not in the "at risk" batch can still go wrong for other reasons eg mistreatment, or a one-off manufacturing error.

Semseddin said:
@feroz2u
Thank you
@Fedor,
What type of SE earpieces might be compatible with defy after a little modding ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony ericsson K550i

feroz2u said:
Sony ericsson K550i
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a K850 speaker from ebay and it works better than before
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA Premium App

ovu85 said:
mine allso had some problems with the earspeaker after a good wash under the tap. the sound was very low. but after 5 minutes it worked just fine.
some body else had that problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was just some water in the earpiece hole blocking the sound. Same can happen with the microphone hole.

my defy was supposedly one of the 'fixed' ones and it was broken brand new out of the box!

rubjonny said:
my defy was supposedly one of the 'fixed' ones and it was broken brand new out of the box!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As the saying goes: sh!t happens.
That would have been down to a manufacturing fault, and the retailer would have been legally obliged to replace it immediately, or offer a refund (Sale of Goods Act). It wouldn't have been a Motorola warranty issue.

[Q] Nexus One main microphone repair/replacement?

Hi all,
I've recently had a crash - my N1 fell out from my pocket while climbing (stupid, I know..) - cracked screen, all that.. I've managed to replace the digitizer without big problems, but I have a more serious issue: the main (built-in) microphone stopped working and now I have to use the headset for every call
I've sent it to HTC service and they said the motherboard needs replacing and wanted me to pay 300$ for it..
Since it's quite a lot for a microphone, before buying the new one (at least 200$ for tho mobo alone) or sending it again to the HTC guys for repair, I'd like to ask you if there is anybody who had anything to do with those microphones or issues similar to mine.
The microphone itself is a small gold rectangle-shaped thing glued to the motherboard, but I cannot make out any markings on it (there seems to be something written on it, it's just not readable any more). It seems to be exactly the same as the noise-cancelling one near in the upper part of the phone. Of course, before cutting or soldering anything I'd like to know as much as I can..
So.. the questions are:
Has anyone repaired a thing like that or managed to replace a microphone on Nexus One motherboard? How could this be done?
Does anybody know where I could buy a microphone that would match?
I know it's a long shot (and a long post ), but I figured it's worth a try to look for somebody who might have some insight.
Thanks in advance,
Kuba
P.S. Could anyone move this question to Q&A, please?..first post gone wrong..

you could just buy a new one for under 300$ on ebay or a used one for less than 220 for everything new If something like that is messed up its not worth fixing, too much work

hitmanre,
thanks for the reply, but...
As I said, I figured the part on buying another mobo (or a broken N1 for parts) on my own.
I was just curious - from a DYI perspective - what's going on on the board and what's actually broken around the microphone.. If it was only the microphone then it should be easy enough to replace - but if it's a crack somewhere in the inner layers of the board, then bummer..
In fact, I opened my N1 again yesterday and cut the mic out...curious thing is that there seem to be only one connected soldered part between mobo ant the mic.. Could anyone explain how a microphone could work with a single connector? there doesn't seem to be any ground connection anywhere..
If I have some time, I'll post photos - but no sooner than in a week - going on vacation
See you,
Kuba

I have the same problem, and I live outside the service coverage area. I've had my Nexus One since May 2010, so it was more than one year old. It's really sad to quit such a really nice phone just because it can't make phone calls. It seems that nobody here in Lima know how to repair a N1. And I'm so afraid to open it...

I have seen 2 of these phones with the same issue. one mine and second a customers. and I have tried replacing the mic headset jack (headset jack can short out audio) and still nothing. mic works with loudspeaker but not in normal mode with earspeaker.

ok today I was able to get my hands on a working nexus. and swapped the upper flex and that fixed it.
the only thing is that we ordered this part from one of our sources to fix a power button (which is on the same part) and it had this issue. so I had to replace it again

blevinski said:
ok today I was able to get my hands on a working nexus. and swapped the upper flex and that fixed it.
the only thing is that we ordered this part from one of our sources to fix a power button (which is on the same part) and it had this issue. so I had to replace it again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have a problem with the mic suddenly not working and working again suddenly. So it must be a damaged flex since the phone has a dent on the upper left part of it.

[Q] Anyone else with a buzzing earpiece?

I bet I'm not the only person with this problem, but I have a brand new Sensation with a buzzing speaker. I've taken the cover off and looked for hairs in the grille and whatnot, to no avail. I even took off the protective sticker to see if that helped anything... nope.
The problem gets worse as the volume goes up.
I bought this from of someone on Craigslist who was selling a couple of them, new in box (he had bought them at Wal-Mart). Should I contact HTC?

zakool21 said:
I bet I'm not the only person with this problem, but I have a brand new Sensation with a buzzing speaker. I've taken the cover off and looked for hairs in the grille and whatnot, to no avail. I even took off the protective sticker to see if that helped anything... nope.
The problem gets worse as the volume goes up.
I bought this from of someone on Craigslist who was selling a couple of them, new in box (he had bought them at Wal-Mart). Should I contact HTC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. It should be coveted under warranty irregardless of where you bought it from as the device itself is only a month old. They do not need proof of purchase
Swyped from my HTC Sensation Pyramid using my thumb and eyes

Thanks -- Talked to both HTC and T-Mobile.
HTC said they would repair it if I sent it in. T-Mobile said that I needed the phone to show up on my account (I only bought it last night) before they could determine warranty info, and that I'd be better of getting the receipt (which I don't have) and taking it back to the store it was purchased from.
However, I took the liberty of taking the back casing off, taking the speaker protective sticker off, and blowing some air into the speaker area. That seems to have fixed the problem and it looks like I won't have to send them the phone after all.

I also have a buzzing noise. A first device I had was producing such a strong buzzing that I asked for an exchange. The second one is only producing this noise on certain calls and gets worse when increasing the volume. I an also wiling to try to clean buy I fear to void warranty by removing the sticker.

The sticker comes off very easily with a razor blade and is very easily replaceable. Remember, you're only removing a grille speaker, not the "void" sticker. Nobody could possibly be any the wiser.

zakool21 said:
However, I took the liberty of taking the back casing off, taking the speaker protective sticker off, and blowing some air into the speaker area. That seems to have fixed the problem and it looks like I won't have to send them the phone after all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have not solved the issue for me.

Takeshi_Kintaro said:
Have not solved the issue for me.
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Click to collapse
That is very bad news. I was hoping that was the solution.

Crap, I swapped a pretty good working sensation having dust for a sensation having no dust but with a massive buzzing noise when having a conversation. Right now, I hate htc.

eadred said:
Crap, I swapped a pretty good working sensation having dust for a sensation having no dust but with a massive buzzing noise when having a conversation. Right now, I hate htc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 1234567890

So, I will return my third sensation because of the buzzing problem. My shop is going to hate me so bad. On the other hand, no really my fault, is it?
But I will certainly not take another sensation for now. I will check back in a few months if htc has fixed the issues. I have no use for a phone that cannot make phone calls properly!
Can't believe htc is making such sophisticated devices, but is unable to make the mere phone function work properly.

I noticed my earpiece makes a light crackling noise when in phone calls. It does get worse with increased volume. I am going to deal with it for now and see if for some reason it gets better. I REALLY dont want to have to try and return my phone because I just returned another one and I dont want to be one of those people that abuses the warranty system.

Getting a buzzing on my new Sensation earpiece when on the phone, gutted right now. Just contacted HTC.

Sending my phone back, after 5 days, i can't stand it any longer!

Also have this problem... I'm going to try and replace it tomorrow
I hope they won't give me a refurbished one... I just bought mine on Saturday...

I noticed the buzzing yesterday. I have only had the phone for 3 days. I imagined I would be the only one having this problem. I don't have any problems returning the phone. I haven't returned one before, but I don't think I should have to settle for a brand new phone that can't perform its most simple function.

have the same problem ....

I replaced the phone today, after A TON of arguing with the store clerk... They were trying to make me send the phone to HTC warranty service, but in the end they gave in.
The new one only exhibits this problem moderately at the loudest speaker setting. Below or at medium it is not noticeable.
Overall I'm pleased with the outcome

so if this is a common issue
if I send my phone to the repair center how are they gonna repair it ...
Also the spare parts must be broken...

Not all of them are like that...Odds are you'd get a "better" device

Just got my Sensation today and am having the same issue: distortion at all volume levels - it sounds almost like a blown earpiece. I will probably end up exchanging it soon as I cannot stand the noise during calls.

Blown Earpiece Speaker

Ive had my RAZR HD for just over a month. It first started with a slight buzz in the earpiece and the last couple of days the speaker completely blew up...everything sounds distorted. I have to turn it to like a 1/4 volume to make it sound normal, at which point I can't hear anything since it's too quite. This is where I'm screwed. I bought the phone outright from Rogers here in Canada and I use it on a Fido network. Since I bought it from Rogers and I don't have an account they won't deal with the warranty. I was told to call Motorola....now I'm supposed to send my phone away to them and it will take 5-10 business days for them to fix it....that's like 2 weeks....not sure what I'm supposed to use in the mean time...
I would rather just pay for someone to fix it since I need my phone for work...don't want to buy another one since I just spent over $600 on this one....but apparently there is no parts available for these yet. I came across this website
etradesupply.com/oem-motorola-droid-razr-hd-xt925-ear-speaker-flex-cable-ribbon.html (I'm not allowed to post a link so just add the www to the beginning )
Anyone ever order from them? Is this the part I need?? Also does anyone have any idea how hard would it be to replace the earpiece speaker? Thanks in advance for any info.

felcom said:
Ive had my RAZR HD for just over a month. It first started with a slight buzz in the earpiece and the last couple of days the speaker completely blew up...everything sounds distorted. I have to turn it to like a 1/4 volume to make it sound normal, at which point I can't hear anything since it's too quite. This is where I'm screwed. I bought the phone outright from Rogers here in Canada and I use it on a Fido network. Since I bought it from Rogers and I don't have an account they won't deal with the warranty. I was told to call Motorola....now I'm supposed to send my phone away to them and it will take 5-10 business days for them to fix it....that's like 2 weeks....not sure what I'm supposed to use in the mean time...
I would rather just pay for someone to fix it since I need my phone for work...don't want to buy another one since I just spent over $600 on this one....but apparently there is no parts available for these yet. I came across this website
etradesupply.com/oem-motorola-droid-razr-hd-xt925-ear-speaker-flex-cable-ribbon.html (I'm not allowed to post a link so just add the www to the beginning )
Anyone ever order from them? Is this the part I need?? Also does anyone have any idea how hard would it be to replace the earpiece speaker? Thanks in advance for any info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The part you linked is just the connecting cable for everything. If it is the problem, it is because one of the ribbon connections is not making good contact which should be able to be fixed by reseating the cable. I would say the phone needs tore down first before ordering anything to check the connection points. The problem is with the front earpiece and not the speakerphone speaker on the back, right?

Yes the earpiece speaker not the loud speaker...are you sure the earpiece speaker is not built into that part??...I looked at the images and it looked like the speaker was part of it.
Has anyone done a write up on teardown of the phone?? I remember I read a post somewhere where a guy did it and said you just undo the 2 screws at the bottom and then push up on the screen...apparently everything is connected to the battery cover on this phone...but before I would attempt this I would like to see a write up, orderly preferably with pictures....and I can't find one...
Sent from my XT925 using xda app-developers app

felcom said:
Yes the earpiece speaker not the loud speaker...are you sure the earpiece speaker is not built into that part??...I looked at the images and it looked like the speaker was part of it.
Has anyone done a write up on teardown of the phone?? I remember I read a post somewhere where a guy did it and said you just undo the 2 screws at the bottom and then push up on the screen...apparently everything is connected to the battery cover on this phone...but before I would attempt this I would like to see a write up, orderly preferably with pictures....and I can't find one...
Sent from my XT925 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was the one that did the tear down on my phone. I am in the process of moving right now. If no one else has down a write up on the teardown within a few weeks, I will do a full step-by-step with pictures.

007shark said:
I was the one that did the tear down on my phone. I am in the process of moving right now. If no one else has down a write up on the teardown within a few weeks, I will do a full step-by-step with pictures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be awesome...Would really appreciate it...do you know if the earpiece speaker would be hard to replace based on what you saw?
Sent from my XT925 using xda app-developers app

felcom said:
That would be awesome...Would really appreciate it...do you know if the earpiece speaker would be hard to replace based on what you saw?
Sent from my XT925 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The whole LCD face comes off with a couple of ribbon connections to the main board. I did not dive into looking inside the faceplate at the time, but will with the step-by-step.

Microphone not working after repair

I've had my Nexus 5 for over 3 years now and it has seen countless ROMs, Kernels, rooting, all that kind of stuff. I also bought it in white and decided after some time that I want a black one so I bought a frame and a back panel and moved everything over to the new assembly. Shortly, it has seen a lot of mods.
My father used it for some time and one day he droped it and the microphone didn't work anymore in calls.
The problem was simple: in calls or while recording audio on whatsapp and such, the mic didnt work. While playing back the recording, there was a slight noise, just as you would keep the record button pushed but not talk and let it record only background noise. I can't remember, though, if while in call and on speaker the mic worked.
I bought a used flex cable with mic, charging port and everything on it (of which I was told was new), switched the old one with it and while playing back the recorded audio you can hear an awful distortion with slight oscilations as where the words should fit in.
However, the other person can hear me while in call and on speaker, but the sound is very, very bad.
My guess is that the mic on the flex cable that I bought was broken as well.
I thought of going ahead an buying another flex from a more trusted seller, but I'd like to get some advice firstly.
I tried anything that could be done with the software, this clearly is a hardware problem. What do you think I should check? What could be broken besides what i already know?
Thank you and have a lovely day!

I don't know if this will help but this guy seems to have a similar problem you can try his solution.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/forum....nexus-5-microphone-speakerphone-t3043151/amp/
Sent from my Google Nexus 5 using XDA Labs

Hey!
Audio rec and calls use different microphones, however, I believe your problems are due to the connector slot on the PCB itself not due to flex cables. Just visually inspect your flex cables, do you see any strong fold lines or torn sections? If not it is quite unlikely.
Regarding the connector slot, find some repairmen who is able with a heat gun and flux, who can lift things from a pcb without damaging stuff. They can either reposition it or replace it.
Best of luck and I completely share your pain.
andreizet96 said:
I've had my Nexus 5 for over 3 years now and it has seen countless ROMs, Kernels, rooting, all that kind of stuff. I also bought it in white and decided after some time that I want a black one so I bought a frame and a back panel and moved everything over to the new assembly. Shortly, it has seen a lot of mods.
My father used it for some time and one day he droped it and the microphone didn't work anymore in calls.
The problem was simple: in calls or while recording audio on whatsapp and such, the mic didnt work. While playing back the recording, there was a slight noise, just as you would keep the record button pushed but not talk and let it record only background noise. I can't remember, though, if while in call and on speaker the mic worked.
I bought a used flex cable with mic, charging port and everything on it (of which I was told was new), switched the old one with it and while playing back the recorded audio you can hear an awful distortion with slight oscilations as where the words should fit in.
However, the other person can hear me while in call and on speaker, but the sound is very, very bad.
My guess is that the mic on the flex cable that I bought was broken as well.
I thought of going ahead an buying another flex from a more trusted seller, but I'd like to get some advice firstly.
I tried anything that could be done with the software, this clearly is a hardware problem. What do you think I should check? What could be broken besides what i already know?
Thank you and have a lovely day!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

keoxkeox said:
Hey!
Audio rec and calls use different microphones, however, I believe your problems are due to the connector slot on the PCB itself not due to flex cables. Just visually inspect your flex cables, do you see any strong fold lines or torn sections? If not it is quite unlikely.
Regarding the connector slot, find some repairmen who is able with a heat gun and flux, who can lift things from a pcb without damaging stuff. They can either reposition it or replace it.
Best of luck and I completely share your pain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer. I know I'm replying after almost one year, but I have given up fixing the old Nexus. Maybe I will try opening it up again and checking what you said, but I don't think it is worth it anymore. I still power it up from time to time, just for the old days. Heh. ?