Surface pro microphone issue - Microsoft Surface

i got surface pro on the first day morning. and I found this microphone problem hours ago when I first make a Skype phone call with my friend.
My friend told me that there is very loud background noise. So I make some tests with several recorder app in different room and tried to unplug power . And the noise is not caused by fan. The background noise is big enough to be noticed (very big in some sense) and sound like electronic noise. Like electromagnetic interference.
So I wonder if you guys have the same problem? or I guess I need to replace for a new one.... I always get bad luck on electronic stuff...
Could anyone try it out? thank you.

2haoxiaoyi said:
Could anyone try it out? thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Record the sound, post a clip. Frankly, I doubt unusable background noise pickup by the mic would be acceptable, so it's not at all likely all of them do this.
For kicks, did you crank up the mic boost or levels? Perhaps you just need to lower them...

I am having the same issues, lots of backround noise.... I am going to mess around with the mic levels when I am in a quiet location, and see how It goes. I'll post back soon.

When I tried to record an audionote in (the full version of) OneNote, I noticed that there was a LOT of background noise, like the mic levels had been turned up way too much. Turns out that was exactly the case: by default, I had been set to a 24dB gain boost! Silly Microsoft.
Setting gain to 0dB and microphone level to 75 worked just fine for me.

Related

Noise Cancelling

Hi peeps,
I had an idea on the airplane today. I am sitting there wishing my headset would cancel the noise instead of deaden the noise. When I realized that my Android's microphone could listen to the noise and send negative sound waves to the earphones resulting in noise cancellation. Can someone build this application?
There should be a range control to control what type of noise i canceled and a control that would allow more or less cancellation. And of course the volume to the headset should still work. Would be nice if movies and audio files could also be played.
Also, don't attempt to make money on this idea because I am claiming this idea for the open source community.
I was actually thinking about this the other day. I cant really see much of a reason the normal mic couldnt be used to cancel ambient noise
Great idea, can't imagine the mic being high enough quality for this to be effective.
I think using the handsfree mic would be a better option as the phone spends most of its time in your pocket.
mercianary said:
Great idea, can't imagine the mic being high enough quality for this to be effective.
I think using the handsfree mic would be a better option as the phone spends most of its time in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not sure about others but my phone is basically always in my hand. I text like crazy and rarely have time to put it away
mercianary said:
Great idea, can't imagine the mic being high enough quality for this to be effective.
I think using the handsfree mic would be a better option as the phone spends most of its time in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the mic quality until someone tries.
My earphones don't have a mic and it wouldn't be to much trouble to leave it out of the pocket when using the noise canceling feature. Could also be done so the phone mic only cancels the noise it hears to and the boom mic would still work normally. So the person on the other end would hear less noise.
I need someone to write the program?
No developers wanna try? I'll be a tester.
Noise cancelling wouldn't be that easy, the delay of capturing, processing and creating the cancellation sound stream would make the sound cancelling ineffective. Have a look on wikipedia for "Active Noise Control".
Such a feature would be damn amazing though. I hope someone might be able to prove me wrong.
NeoAcheron said:
Noise cancelling wouldn't be that easy, the delay of capturing, processing and creating the cancellation sound stream would make the sound cancelling ineffective. Have a look on wikipedia for "Active Noise Control".
Such a feature would be damn amazing though. I hope someone might be able to prove me wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think the delay would be very small and not noticeable, but maybe I am wrong?
Instead of active noise cancelling for all sounds, some sounds are predictable once sampled. The hum of an airplane for example doesn't really change that much. Woulnt someone be able to sample a ~5 second clip and then process that, and repeat it?
Sent from a touch tone tele-phone.
bivio said:
Instead of active noise cancelling for all sounds, some sounds are predictable once sampled. The hum of an airplane for example doesn't really change that much. Woulnt someone be able to sample a ~5 second clip and then process that, and repeat it?
Sent from a touch tone tele-phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah maybe you could have a noise canceling app or something that you run and it listens with the mic and makes a sample to use while you play your music or whatever, then just listens for changes, loud noises, etc to actively cancel rather than constantly listening and using everything.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
Maybe that could be the difference between a paid and free app.
Free = just cancels out bacground noise
Paid = cancels out background noise and "impact sounds"
Sent from a touch tone tele-phone.
As previously stated, i doubt active noise cancelling would really be that effective due to many reasons, mic quality, latency issues, etc.
As for pre-recorded noise cancelling, there's probably a reason it hasn't been done yet. It's probably either incredibly hard to do, or incredibly ineffective.
...although, i'd love to be proven wrong
Yeah, this is just too precise a task to do with anything but real-time electronics. A typical noise cancelling setup uses an inverting op-amp that sends an inverted signal at the exact time that it is generated. Any latency at all (anything above a few nanoseconds) would cause an echo effect that would be worse than the noise. There's just no way a microprocessor could sample the sound, analyse it, and generate an inverted signal in software that would be anywhere near fast enough.
As for eliminating random noise based on some pre-sampled or randomly generated noise (white, pink, etc.), we have that already. It's called treble.
Gene Poole said:
There's just no way a microprocessor could sample the sound, analyse it, and generate an inverted signal in software that would be anywhere near fast enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you need to analyse anything just invert the signal and feed back out. But I do understand your point. These processors are doing millions of operations a second so I would hope just maybe it is possible? Maybe the sound processing chip has a built-in invert function? This is just my humble opinion and if you are in fact a person that does this for a living I submit to your wisdom.
there is an app called sound canceller that does this.
however, it seems not to work very well supposedly because of the API having a delay to playback
There seem to be some serious misconception about Noise Cancelling here. So listen to Gene Pool, he knows what he's talking about. Please read up on your wave physics and NC details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_cancelling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise-cancelling_headphones
Gene Poole said:
... A typical noise cancelling setup uses an inverting op-amp that sends an inverted signal at the exact time that it is generated. Any latency at all (anything above a few nanoseconds) would cause an echo effect that would be worse than the noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost agree, apart from that your measure is about 6 orders of magnitude (10^6) off! At 1000 Hz, it should be enough with a delay that is slightly less than double that frequency for a 180 degree phase shift. I.e. ~1 ms (millisecond).
sonwon said:
I don't think you need to analyze anything just invert the signal and feed back out.
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Click to collapse
That's right, and this make the electronics very simple, so yeah, it's probably easier to just buy yourself a pair of noise cancelling head/ear phones. (Why not ALL head/ear-phones doesn't already have built in NC, is beyond me. But I guess its a big difference between "descent" and "good" NC...)
xd4d3v said:
there is an app called sound canceller that does this. however, it seems not to work very well supposedly because of the API having a delay to playback
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said above, you just need to make sure your App is running with higher priority than everything else, to minimize the latency. I suppose putting the phone in "Airplane Mode" would help... But ANYTHING running on your phone would create latency, as anyone running MIDI keyboard software on a PC know all about, where a latency of 40 ms is already annoying and very noticeable. While it is nearly impossible to obtain latencies less than 10 ms on a normal operational PC without special low latency HW.
Here are some interesting sound apps:
https://market.android.com/details?id=org.liberty.android.noisecanceller
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.idroidbot.acousticsfilter
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.idroidbot.ispectral
(I have not tried any of these, so I can't really recommend them.)
On the last note. Most phones already have built in NC HW, so if you can figure out how to use that, you would probably have something very interesting going. For example see my post on the noise-cancellation problem on the Samsung Galaxy S2.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1384756
E:V:A said:
That's right, and this make the electronics very simple, so yeah, it's probably easier to just buy yourself a pair of noise cancelling head/ear phones. (Why not ALL head/ear-phones doesn't already have built in NC, is beyond me. But I guess its a big difference between "descent" and "good" NC...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That, and NC is only "decent" at most anyway. It's good to listen to music and such in public transports but absolute crap to use when you're in a quiet room at home. I wouldn't want NC technology to be implemented on "audiophile grade" headphones (audiophile jokes apart).
Has anyone tried any of the apps that E:V:A listed? If so, how did they work?
If this helps, my Galaxy Note cancels noise during calls, and it is done with the onboard mic itself obviously.
Regarding how good is it: I was on a railway station with trains arriving and departing, passengers moving around with trolleys and public announcements in loud volume when my friend called and he thought I'm in my apartment. I made him listen to the noise but he could hear nothing.
This happens all the time!
(also, the friend v.akhilverma here, purchased note himself)
Noise cancellation is far more complicated than just inverting an input and summing it with the output. If it were that simple then there would have been low cost noise cancellation headphones a very long time ago.
That being said, we live in an era of mega-powerful DSPs everywhere. Your phone's ARM processor is even powerful enough to do the DSP necessary for simplistic noise cancellation. I am writing a noise cancellation app right now and should be done with it in a few weeks. I will post a link here when done.
By some rough initial performance metrics it should be completely feasible to run a software noise cancellation algorithm with a 12 tap IIR filter and a minimal RLS equalizer. I've already written the C code to do the noise cancellation, and I just need to port it to NDK and find a way to have it run on the phone when audio is playing (and not when audio is not playing).
I'll post a link here when it is working.

Sound tweak to up volume?

Hi,
Does anyone know a way to tweak a system file so that Inspire's volume is higher?
I personally find its stock volume rather low, and I want to increase it.
I downloaded Zedge. It is a free app with nice louder ringtones.
Hope this helps!
I'm wanting to up the volume system-wide. But, thanks for the info anyway
Yea, I tested a movie and sling player last night. The media volume was all the way up and it was quite.
I went from iPhone 4 (nice and louad) to Atrix 4g (nice and loud) to Inspire 4g (too quiet).
I am loving the Inspire but the sound volume and battery life are definitely the 2 big downsides of it. Still a winner over the Atrix any day though.
I personally don't have issues with the battery. I've removed all extra stuff. Even before removing them, I was happy with its battery.
It can't be that hard to change the system volume. It's done in every smartphone and OS before. Hopefully, some developer notices this thread and help us out.
goldentequila said:
I personally don't have issues with the battery. I've removed all extra stuff. Even before removing them, I was happy with its battery.
It can't be that hard to change the system volume. It's done in every smartphone and OS before. Hopefully, some developer notices this thread and help us out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I'm half deaf. Need a louder phone please.
same here, the phone volume is too low. Maybe if can acces service codes? I did it on my previous Samsung phone.
Hi, all.
So, I've been doing some digging around, and looks like there are 2 possibilities.
One is to modify the system files manually (which would be very complicated), but I personally prefer this method rather than having to install extra stuff. However, this method is not available to us unless some very smart person shares the method with us.
Two, which seems to be the only viable option at the moment, is DSP Manager. As far as I understand, it used to be available through ROM Manager, but it is no longer there. I saw a thread that said the author was not releasing it anymore because most MOD developers were now including it in their ROMs from the beginning.
So, if we can find a way to install DSP Manager, we may be able to tweak the max speaker volume. But, that's as far as I could find. I'd need someone smarter to look into this.
Hi,
An update and a new idea.
First, DSP Manager doesn't work on Inspire 4G, so don't bother.
Second,
Here's a new idea I have about the low volume sound fix. I just read a comment from HTC employee who said, "The front speaker is for phone calls and the rear speaker is for everything else."
In other words, if we can find a way to keep the front speaker enabled all the time, we should be able to get more sound. I don't know much about what kind of coding is involved in routing sounds from each speaker, but I wonder if this would be an easier hack than trying to increase the entire system volume, which may still feel low volume for as long as we can't get any sound out of the front speaker.
Maybe someone smart can add to this possibility?
#1! I like to use voice recordings as scheduled reminders, and the playback volume out of the rear speaker is way too low.
I did notice the low volume on a movie i downloaded but you never can tell with those sorts of things. Overall the sounds is incredible even through the speakers with (SRS) and dolby mobile.
Could use something to ++output level.
Id like to see an app to change audio volume levels while recording video.
(ive only had the phone a couple days i returned my samsung Cap upgrade for the 4g, forgive me if there is such an app out there)
How often do you go to watch an awesome looking concert video and the sound is trash? It would make for some beautiful recordings i think. I have yet to test this one, but the Captivate could not record decent sound at all in loud environment.
I personally have come to believe that it is really not that the "volume" is low but rather a "wrong" speaker is being used. I mean, if the main speaker is on the back facing away from us, of course we don't hear much sound. If you flip the phone while playing music or video, you'll notice that the sound is actually loud enough. So, if we can enable the front speaker for normal use, I really think that it'll be just fine.
about every HTC phone has a quiet speaker. but cyanogen typically always includes the audio boost add-on. so i'd just wait for cyanogen 7 to include it, and your troubles will be solved.
well, even if the volume is boosted, as long as the sound is coming out of the rear speaker, if you place your phone on its back on a table or something, the sound will still suffer. It makes more sense to find a way to enable the front speaker.
Most of all phone have a rear facing speaker. But some phone are loud and some are not..
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
goldentequila said:
well, even if the volume is boosted, as long as the sound is coming out of the rear speaker, if you place your phone on its back on a table or something, the sound will still suffer. It makes more sense to find a way to enable the front speaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 this would be quite useful!
kwin_captivate said:
Most of all phone have a rear facing speaker. But some phone are loud and some are not..
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, they don't lol. (you may be right if you are talking about specific brand or series, but certainly not "most of all phones").
I just came across something that may be relevant to the audio routing, but I'm not smart enough to figure them out. If anybody wants to take a look at it, it would be great:
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/media/AudioManager.html
There are several lines there that talk about Routing.
GT
This may sound ridiculous but works!
Hi, all.
I just came up with a very simple workaround for "only when you are watching a video or something."
Now, you're gonna probably laugh, but trust me. It really works.
Just play any video, and hold your phone as if you are scooping water. The key is the left hand. When you cup your left hand around the rear speaker, it creates a echoing chamber that redirect all sound toward you. You'll be able to hear the sound much better.
GT

Audio Issues on Tablet - Help

Does anyone have white noise/static feedback issues with the audio? Its easier to notice when I use in-ear earbuds, but if I place my ears next to the speakers I can hear it as well. I'm not sure how to describe it but it doesn't distort the noise, its almost like a layer or white noise.
It only happens when the tablet is in use, someways to easily make it occur is by pressing apps/status bar/unlock screen but after a few seconds it goes away. However when I'm listening to music the white noise is always there, especially noticeable in soft/low instrumental music. Is this normal, does this happen to anyone else?
I already sent in one of my tablets for repairs only to have it sent back saying it was fixed when it wasn't. Then I had to send it back again for a replacement, and now this new tablet has the same issue. After all this I'm not sure if this is just normal or am i just that unlucky.
Please can anyone tell me if they have any noticeable audio issues so i know if i need to return this tablet again.
I had an issue before that the speaker would crackle in YouTube. But I think that was a software issue. Whatever you described does not sound normal to me. I don't notice any kind of white noise during normal use.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Ray_jai said:
Does anyone have white noise/static feedback issues with the audio?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Not from the speakers, over BT, or via a 3.5MM connection. And I have a pretty decent set of headphones that would definitely pick-up any distortion. The fact your experiencing it with all audio out makes it seem like s/w. It's not unusual to hear reports of the occasional 3.5MM jack being bad but most of the other audio related h/w is part of the circuit board. Try doing a factory reset. If it's gone after that it's something s/w or app related.
BarryH_GEG said:
No. Not from the speakers, over BT, or via a 3.5MM connection. And I have a pretty decent set of headphones that would definitely pick-up any distortion. The fact your experiencing it with all audio out makes it seem like s/w. It's not unusual to hear reports of the occasional 3.5MM jack being bad but most of the other audio related h/w is part of the circuit board. Try doing a factory reset. If it's gone after that it's something s/w or app related.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did a factory reset and it the audio issue is still visible. :/ does this mean i need to exchange my tablet again?
Ray_jai said:
I did a factory reset and it the audio issue is still visible. :/ does this mean i need to exchange my tablet again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. It sounds like a h/w problem.
Can you guys try these two tests below and see if you hear it? Wear earbuds, preferably in-ear earbuds as it seems to pick it up a lot clearer, and be in a silent room when doing this.
Method 1
Turn the tablet on and have it on the unlock screen, wear the earbuds and make sure not to do anything, it should be silent. Proceed to unlock the screen and see if you hear any audible white noise in the background, after a few seconds you should hear a very low but audible click. After that click the white noise disappears.
Method 2
Have the tablet unlocked, and have your earbuds on. Make sure you don't do anything for a few seconds due to the nature of this test. After that proceed to expand the notification bar (lower right corner). After it expands see if you hear any audible white noise, after a few seconds there should be a click and the white noise disappears.
Those methods are the best and easiest way to explain how I replicated the noise. I've come to believe this is a hardware issue and a design flaw in the tablet because all the note 10.1 floor models at my local best buys also have this issue.
Ray_jai said:
Does anyone have white noise/static feedback issues with the audio? Its easier to notice when I use in-ear earbuds, but if I place my ears next to the speakers I can hear it as well. I'm not sure how to describe it but it doesn't distort the noise, its almost like a layer or white noise.
It only happens when the tablet is in use, someways to easily make it occur is by pressing apps/status bar/unlock screen but after a few seconds it goes away. However when I'm listening to music the white noise is always there, especially noticeable in soft/low instrumental music. Is this normal, does this happen to anyone else?
I already sent in one of my tablets for repairs only to have it sent back saying it was fixed when it wasn't. Then I had to send it back again for a replacement, and now this new tablet has the same issue. After all this I'm not sure if this is just normal or am i just that unlucky.
Please can anyone tell me if they have any noticeable audio issues so i know if i need to return this tablet again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YES! I posted something about this, with STATIC in the title, but received no responses. I get a squeaky kind of static, most evident with earbuds. I'm using Shure and they're awesome, so I don't think it's them. I'm going to try another pair, just to isolate the issue. But I hear it during videos and music. During videos, if there's no sound at a particular point in the video, I don't hear it, but as soon as someone speaks, it's there right along with the audio, in sync with it.
It's REALLY annoying, as it makes listening to soft, quiet music as I fall asleep pretty impossible.
loribuono said:
YES! I posted something about this, with STATIC in the title, but received no responses. I get a squeaky kind of static, most evident with earbuds. I'm using Shure and they're awesome, so I don't think it's them. I'm going to try another pair, just to isolate the issue. But I hear it during videos and music. During videos, if there's no sound at a particular point in the video, I don't hear it, but as soon as someone speaks, it's there right along with the audio, in sync with it.
It's REALLY annoying, as it makes listening to soft, quiet music as I fall asleep pretty impossible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad someone else hears this, can you try the 2 methods I listed in the post before yours? I want to see if the white noise is the same one I'm hearing.

Clicking while on phone calls

****Update 10/27/17: I have received two phones white and black both RMA replacements and I am extremely happy to report they do NOT have either issue. I have an observation to make though regarding the high pitch sound and also why Google may not be approaching this the way we expect. The replacements do have a very very very very faint sound if you put your ear up to the phone. It is so quiet that you would need a dead silent room to hear it. I suspect this is what Google engineers think is going on with our devices and also why the response is lackluster. I will extend an olive branch to Google and admit, I would not replace the phones either if they are just like my new RMA phone. BUT! The issues these users are describing regarding the electronic noise is enough to hear in any area during every call. This is not something you can tune out. I wish you all the best and please let me know if I can help in some way. I don't want to walk away from this knowing how it feels to have that static/issue.****
*******Temporary fix - Turn off NFC******* Please still report this to google using the feedback option inside settings and about phone. *********
I received my Pixel 2 white version and have experienced clicking during phone calls. I have rebooted into safe mode, turned off wifi, bluetooth, always on listening and still experience it.
My wife got a pixel 2 as well and it does not exhibit the clicking sound.
Both phones have a high pitch frequency noise while in phone calls regardless if it is wifi or carrier signal.
I have contacted google support and they have not had any reported issues. Please post here if you have experienced high frequency noise and/or clicking. Here is a reviewer that experienced the clicking as well.
https://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Google-Pixel-2-and-Pixel-2-XL-Review_id4431/page/4
Anyone have advice on diagnosing it?
I ordered both phones from google and use them on T-Mobile.
***Clicking occurs outside of phone calls only when screen is on and unlocked. I have also tried safe mode in addition to airplane mode.***
These are the instructions Google Support gave me.
--------------
We only have the 2 options to get you another device. We can do what we call Advanced Replacement. With this, I send you labels for the original phone and a link to order the replacement. We don't charge you, but there is an authorization hold placed on your payment method until we receive the original phone. This lets you keep using the phone you have while you wait and is usually the faster option.
We also have the option for a Standard Exchange. With this, you send the bad phone back first and when it reaches our warehouse, a replacement is shipped out. This way typically takes 5-10 business days and requires no authorization hold, but you are without the phone during that time.
--------------
Mods, can you change the title to "High-frequency noise & clicking when screen is on and unlocked RMA"
No issues here. Unlocked version using Verizon.
I'm using the unlocked pixel 2 on Verizon and I have experienced both of those issues. The high pitched sound does not happen all the time but the clicking does. So far the clicking is low volume and only noticable during conversation pauses. I hope it's something cured by a software update.
---------- Post added at 05:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 AM ----------
One thing to try that might lessen the problem, I noticed that the voice privacy settings was off by default and since I turned it on I haven't noticed the high pitched sound and the clicking was there but less noticable. Could be just a coincidence but let me know if that does anything for you.
weinga16 said:
I'm using the unlocked pixel 2 on Verizon and I have experienced both of those issues. The high pitched sound does not happen all the time but the clicking does. So far the clicking is low volume and only noticable during conversation pauses. I hope it's something cured by a software update.
---------- Post added at 05:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 AM ----------
One thing to try that might lessen the problem, I noticed that the voice privacy settings was off by default and since I turned it on I haven't noticed the high pitched sound and the clicking was there but less noticable. Could be just a coincidence but let me know if that does anything for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed the clicking goes away when WiFi calling. High pitch noise is present at all times except when screen is locked.
I have recorded the sound here. You can also hear the electrical sound as well.
https://soundcloud.com/pwned2owned/click-sound-pixel-2-recorded
soundwave123 said:
I have recorded the sound here. You can also hear the electrical sound as well.
https://soundcloud.com/pwned2owned/click-sound-pixel-2-recorded
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds a bit like interference on the speaker, not something easy to fix in software. I'm getting my P2 tomorrow. I'll report back.
I started a thread about this at Google's product forums so that if this is a widespread issue, they can be alerted to it.
https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!category-topic/phone-by-google/google-pixel-2/TTCkF_SrlpQ
---------- Post added at 10:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:52 AM ----------
bartolo5 said:
That sounds a bit like interference on the speaker, not something easy to fix in software. I'm getting my P2 tomorrow. I'll report back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully this is similar to what plagued the iPhone 8 and can be fixed in an update. It sounds like a very similar issue.
I am experiencing the clicking noise too. It occurs all the time while the screen is on, not just in calls, but its only audible with the phone against your ear. It gave me a headache after a 20min call. It is very noticeable to me. I also hear the high frequency noise during calls if the screen is off.
Android Central also mentioned the clicking noise in their review video.
I have opened a topic on the Pixel support forums. I highly recommend anyone with this issue post there so we can get some attention to this issue.
https://productforums.google.com/fo...!msg/phone-by-google/XuQgtm5dK8I/7SZD7EfxAAAJ
bartolo5 said:
That sounds a bit like interference on the speaker, not something easy to fix in software. I'm getting my P2 tomorrow. I'll report back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it never occured to me before to hold the earpiece on my phone to my ear, when not making a call. But I just tried it with my Nexus 4 (that I'm replacing with a Pixel 2). When the screen is on, with my Nexus 4, but not in a call, I hear a static-like noise and an electronicy noise; it is very faint and only audible in a very quiet setting. When the screen is off I hear only the static noise and it seems even more faint. I don't notice anything during calls, because I assume the sound of my caller is far louder and drowns out any background static.
Thinking about it, it seems like any speaker, connected to an amplifier, with the volume all the way up (my usual setting on my Nexus 4) makes static and electronic noises. In my car, if I turn the stereo all the way up, without playing anything, there's quite a bit of noise coming through the speakers. And one is certainly use to hearing the hum of speakers, when a powerful sound system is turned on.
I'm assuming that when the system is on, there is a completed circuit to the speaker, and it is difficult to have a pefectly clean signal. Any surrounding electro-magnetic activity (of which there is a lot in a phone, the power source; the cellular, wifi, and bluetooth radios; probably elements of how the screen functions) would potentially create interference in the voltage on the circuit to the speaker (i.e. earpiece), in essence creating micro-voltages that would cause noise in the speaker. After all, that's all a speaker does, it turns amplitude in voltage into sound (I think, I'm not an expert on this). So tiny random voltages from interfence would create noise of some sort or another.
I wonder if it's almost impossible not to have this effect with a speaker (you'd have to have a perfectly clean power source with no interference and everything connected to the speaker would have to be perfectly shielded).
Anyway, obviously this sort of phenomenon can be more or less noticeable. So I wonder if all phones do this, but it's more noticeable on the Pixel 2 for some reason.
The clicking noise is more interesting, because it's regularity reflects some sort of interference that is not just random interference from other electronic components. It's also curious that a couple people report not having this issue on the Pixel 2--maybe it's there, but much less noticeable?
Anyway, I'll be interested if people replace the device and get another one without the issue.
Goes away when camera is open. Make a call then open camera. Sound is gone.
Can confirm my Pixel 2 also has this clicking + hissing noise. It happens ALL the time when the screen is on, and obviously is a lot more obvious when you are using the phone for a phone call. Has nothing to do with RF cell output because it also happens when using the speaker in airplane mode + wifi. hopefully there's a software fix for this, but it just sound like interference from the circuits into the speaker... Although it's not super annoying it should not be happening.
I am experiencing the same problem as well
---------- Post added at 04:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 AM ----------
davwman said:
Goes away when camera is open. Make a call then open camera. Sound is gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine goes away too when the camera is open
I've contacted support and have a replacement on the way. Hopefully it's gone. I don't have much confidence
Can anyone confirm that this does not happen to some degree on all phones?
As I note above, though I never thought before to put the earpiece to my ear when I'm not making a call on my old Nexus 4, after reading this I discovered it also makes static and electronic interference noises when the screen is on. In fact, it's even there, but only very faintly, when it's off. It does not make a ticking sound, though, which I can imagine is more annoying, especially if it is audible during calls.
Anyway, I'm just wondering it it's reasonable to expect there to be no sound like this at all. Maybe it's just more pronounced and obvious on the Pixel 2, but not necessarily unexpected on a smartphone.
Also, are there any more people other than the OP who has a Pixel 2 that does not make the clicking sound (he said his wife's does not, but his does)?
*
[Edit: Okay, I just started setting up my Pixel 2 and I definitely have the clicking sound. I'm officially annoyed. It's only there when the phone is unlocked, not when the screen is on but the phone is locked. Definitely audible during calls.
I do also hear a static noise and some high pitched electronic sounds, when the screen is locked, but it's pretty faint and not significantly different from what I've described on my Nexus 4. So to me the clicking sound is the real issue.]
*
[Edit 2: The clicking sound went away.
I have no idea what caused this, if anything. I factory reset the phone, just so I'd be able to tell customer support I'd already tried that, and it did not help. The clicking was still there. Then I was going through and changing settings--most of which I had done before the factory reset and the clicking sound was still there. The only thing I can think of is that I was disabling a lot of the app permissions. I think I disabled more this time than before the factory reset. I prefer not to allow access to the microphone, location, anything that seems privacy related, if not necessary. So I was even disabling stuff for the Google app and Google play services, which in several instances gave me a warning that the phone might no work properly, but I did it anyway. It was soon after this that I notice the clicking sound was gone.
I tried re-enabling a few things having to do with the micophone (thinking that could create feedback or something), but that did not bring the clicking sound back.
Something else I did that I hadn't done before the factory reset was calibrate the compass. I noticed it was way off in the maps, so I just did the figure eight flipping around motion that maps sometimes prompts one to do to calibrate the compass. That did fix the compass.
Anyway, perhaps the disappearance of the clicking had nothing to do with any of these settings. I'm a bit mystified and baffled. I'd also been charging the phone at the same time.
The high pitched electronic sound I was hearing is also less noticeable. I don't hear it with my ear to the earpiece; but I just discovered it's much more noticeable with my ear to the top back of the phone. I do still hear the faint static noise that I described in the earpiece.
Lastly, this could be totally unrelated, but wondering if the clicking is just from something not being put together correctly, I tapped the phone on the top edge and notice that something sounds faintly loose or like it's ratting in the top of the phone. I don't hear this anywhere else on the phone and it only works by tapping the phone on the side at the top or on the edge of the top. Actually, I can hear something similar, but lower pitched tapping the phone on the bottom. It's more like something vibrating inside the phone, than like something is loose. Perhaps components in the speakers? I assume there are small moving components in the speakers for them to function (or maybe not?). I notice I can provoke a similar sound from the earpiece in my Nexus 4. Anyone else notice this?
Anyway, I hope this is somehow helpful. I suppose I won't be surprised if the clicking sound comes back.]
I just noticed this same hissing sound is heard on recorded videos!
cb474 said:
Can anyone confirm that this does not happen to some degree on all phones?
As I note above, though I never thought before to put the earpiece to my ear when I'm not making a call on my old Nexus 4, after reading this I discovered it also makes static and electronic interference noises when the screen is on. In fact, it's even there, but only very faintly, when it's off. It does not make a ticking sound, though, which I can imagine is more annoying, especially if it is audible during calls.
Anyway, I'm just wondering it it's reasonable to expect there to be no sound like this at all. Maybe it's just more pronounced and obvious on the Pixel 2, but not necessarily unexpected on a smartphone.
Also, are there any more people other than the OP who has a Pixel 2 that does not make the clicking sound (he said his wife's does not, but his does)?
*
[Edit: Okay, I just started setting up my Pixel 2 and I definitely have the clicking sound. I'm officially annoyed. It's only there when the phone is unlocked, not when the screen is on but the phone is locked. Definitely audible during calls.
I do also hear a static noise and some high pitched electronic sounds, when the screen is locked, but it's pretty faint and not significantly different from what I've described on my Nexus 4. So to me the clicking sound is the real issue.]
*
[Edit 2: The clicking sound went away.
I have no idea what caused this, if anything. I factory reset the phone, just so I'd be able to tell customer support I'd already tried that, and it did not help. The clicking was still there. Then I was going through and changing settings--most of which I had done before the factory reset and the clicking sound was still there. The only thing I can think of is that I was disabling a lot of the app permissions. I think I disabled more this time than before the factory reset. I prefer not to allow access to the microphone, location, anything that seems privacy related, if not necessary. So I was even disabling stuff for the Google app and Google play services, which in several instances gave me a warning that the phone might no work properly, but I did it anyway. It was soon after this that I notice the clicking sound was gone.
I tried re-enabling a few things having to do with the micophone (thinking that could create feedback or something), but that did not bring the clicking sound back.
Something else I did that I hadn't done before the factory reset was calibrate the compass. I noticed it was way off in the maps, so I just did the figure eight flipping around motion that maps sometimes prompts one to do to calibrate the compass. That did fix the compass.
Anyway, perhaps the disappearance of the clicking had nothing to do with any of these settings. I'm a bit mystified and baffled. I'd also been charging the phone at the same time.
The high pitched electronic sound I was hearing is also less noticeable. I don't hear it with my ear to the earpiece; but I just discovered it's much more noticeable with my ear to the top back of the phone. I do still hear the faint static noise that I described in the earpiece.
Lastly, this could be totally unrelated, but wondering if the clicking is just from something not being put together correctly, I tapped the phone on the top edge and notice that something sounds faintly loose or like it's ratting in the top of the phone. I don't hear this anywhere else on the phone and it only works by tapping the phone on the side at the top or on the edge of the top. Actually, I can hear something similar, but lower pitched tapping the phone on the bottom. It's more like something vibrating inside the phone, than like something is loose. Perhaps components in the speakers? I assume there are small moving components in the speakers for them to function (or maybe not?). I notice I can provoke a similar sound from the earpiece in my Nexus 4. Anyone else notice this?
Anyway, I hope this is somehow helpful. I suppose I won't be surprised if the clicking sound comes back.]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rattling is likely the ois of the camera
Reported... waiting for feedback... Hold on everyone...anyone with pixel 2 xl can confirm if its also happening on the bigger one?
turn off nfc... temporary work around for the meantime...
For info I don't believe i'm getting this, i've used the unit pretty extensively since i received on Wednesday. I'm in the UK and have the White 64Gb edition.
Wow, this is unacceptable. I am waiting for my Pixel 2 XL to arrive next week, if I have this issue it is going back to Google. For the money they ask you would think they test things like this.

Broken top speaker on Low frequencies.

Howdy...
For quite some time i had the feeling Music doesn't sound quite right on max volume.
So today i made the Test and it seems as if my top speaker is broken.
I've recorded the whole test so you can hear it too (put the volume to the max...) and you know how i've tested to see if i'm the only one or if this might even be a common mistake on the XZ2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot3rFUuC7sQ
Reproducing: Use any Frequency test Video or app or whatever. Set the Volume at Max.
You can hear the top speaker crickling/flattering between 250 and 1100hz. Everything above that is clear.
If you reduce the Volume below 50% it's also clear.
Anyone has a Similar issue or am i alone with a broken speaker?
As a musician, I can tell you that driving a pure sine wave through any speaker for any length of time will damage and distort it
That being said, alot of speakers don't handle any sound at full volume very well...even crystal speakers / drivers on phones, you do get signal/music drop out, distortion as certain instruments and signals vie for superiority within the sound space..
If the music is fine at about 95% of full... Then that's normal... if it like that at 85% or lower, could be a faulty unit..
These are very small crystal drivers... and will, if constantly ramped up full will become distorted over time, due to the sheer stress on them of constantly being vibrated all day long very fast.. this is why, on phones it's best to take the volume to about 90% max... because theyll sound rubbish above that...
If it's bothering you though friend, I would, just warranty or return it if you can
Hope that helps ?

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