[Q] Voice call quality on Z3 - opinions? - Xperia Z3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I recently switched from a Samsung S4 and was surprised that the call quality on Z3 is subjectively very poor.
My complaints:
1) I feel that it is sometimes too loud even on the lowest volume
2) There is considerable noise whenever the person on the other end speaks - it seems to be at almost a constant volume, so turning volume up helps, but then it is too loud for me - this is a major issue to me, it is so bad
3) I tried various settings for call audio and I don't feel they make any difference (compares to a touchwiz ROM options - you could really hear a difference there between Smooth and Clear (or whatever they were called).
4) I tried some sound mods hoping they would do something, but they didn't - I am on a mostly stock ROM and I had problem with the call quality since the beginning - before I even rooted the device.
Does anybody have the same problems as me, or is something amiss with my Z3?
Thanks for your opinion

Zviratko said:
Hi,
I recently switched from a Samsung S4 and was surprised that the call quality on Z3 is subjectively very poor.
My complaints:
1) I feel that it is sometimes too loud even on the lowest volume
2) There is considerable noise whenever the person on the other end speaks - it seems to be at almost a constant volume, so turning volume up helps, but then it is too loud for me - this is a major issue to me, it is so bad
3) I tried various settings for call audio and I don't feel they make any difference (compares to a touchwiz ROM options - you could really hear a difference there between Smooth and Clear (or whatever they were called).
4) I tried some sound mods hoping they would do something, but they didn't - I am on a mostly stock ROM and I had problem with the call quality since the beginning - before I even rooted the device.
Does anybody have the same problems as me, or is something amiss with my Z3?
Thanks for your opinion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I would include model number and service provider. These are issues that may affect voice quality, if I'm not incorrect to say so.
I have a D6616 on T-mobile in the US, most of my callers are on Tmo (family plan) and quality when in network is far better than Iphone 4 or 5 on big red (VZW), HD calling is very clear, makes it not sound like a phone at all, weird mind game it plays... Loudness is something that because of my job is very appreciated, and microphone is very sensitive, better than my previous LG G2... had to scream into that slab to be heard... people thought i was Les Grossman

Came from a Sprint LG G2 here, I would say the Z3 is as good if not better in terms of call quality. Just my opinion though. It is loud but, not too much as to hurt my ears though. Almost don't need speakerphone mode lol.

Related

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

[Q] Extremely Low Call Volume - Is this a common problem?

Hi all.
Recently got myself my first smartphone, the Nexus S on Telus. (Well, had a Samsung Omnia before, but getting a WM6.1 phone in 2010 can hardly be considered smart )
Everything was going swimmingly. I have a penchant for changing up the software innards on the devices I own, so naturally I rooted my shiny new phone and had a good time trying out all these ROMS. This was approximately a month ago.
About a week ago my phone inexplicably began to act up. My in-call volume dropped to barely a whisper, and my touch-sensitive search button would for some reason go off on it's on.
After a bit of Googling, I found out that the search button issue is affecting many other Canadian users also, something about a bug in the new radio (AUCKD1).
But I've yet to find anything conclusive about the in-call volume. There are threads who are complaining of either low or high volumes, but no workable solutions.
So as a last resort I have restored my phone to fully stock 2.3.4. One to see if it was my messing around that caused it, and to also prepare for the possibility of having to return my shiny. It may just be my imagination/denial, but the call volume seems slightly better. Not good enough for me to hear outside, but inside, with no background noise it's just slightly quieter than normal.
Another thing that is very odd. Skype volume is much louder than voice calls. To be frank it's still not loud enough to be considered acceptable, but it is definitely louder. They use the same speakers right? Why would that be?
If at all possible I'd like to avoid having to take the phone back since Telus will no doubt charge me exuberant fees for having touched the phone for more than 3 seconds and moving more than 18 millimeters away from the store I bought it from.
Please advise, XDA!
U can try install kernel voodoo sound from supercurio and apps. U can see the different.
I had try most of the custom rom. There is one rom who give me loudest call volume, but I can't remember which ROM it is. U should explore more rather than bring it to the store.
Now I'm on liquidnexusbread, but not giving me a good volume in call.
I knew it sucks... but I love this rom performance.
Sent from my Nexus S I9020T

Earpiece quality?

Does anyone have some information about the earpiece quality?
On the Nexus 4 the quality was very low as on lower volumes interferences from the wireless signal could be heard. Also i don't like phone on which the lowest volume is still much too loud.
Any experience would be very appreciated.
No we dont have any information. The phone isn't even in peoples hands with the exception of media sites.
Just wait until you receive the device and conclude for yourself (or wait for others for a full-review)
Mine's in my hand. The earpiece quality is excellent, it's very loud and clear, the best I've ever encountered!
zephiK said:
No we dont have any information. The phone isn't even in peoples hands with the exception of media sites.
Just wait until you receive the device and conclude for yourself (or wait for others for a full-review)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got my phone right here.. Already have it for like 6 hours (has been shipped today)... Did not test the headphone output yet...
Sound quality is excellent through earphones..Plenty loud..Im pretty impressed with the speakers to..More bass and clarity than the N4.. Turn the volume up on Dead Trigger 2 or listen to some dance music and you will see what i mean.
Ok, thank you very much for your answers :good:
I'm only interested in the earpiece volume. It's nice if the speaker is loud enough but i don't want the earpiece on low volumes too loud. Even more i like it if it's very quiet for on the lowest levels as i'm not all the time in a noisy environment.
If the earphone output is also quite low on the lowest level i'd appreciate that a lot. I had troubles with every Android phone so far, except the HTC One X+, beeing too loud. (And don't start a flamewar. Some people can't get it loud enough and some like phones who are able to adapt to the ambient).
Hi,
Can you tell me if you can control the volume with a wired headset ? (much like the iPhone... and unlike my Nexus 4)
Thanks !
Mine has stopped working...still makes a sound when maximising the volume but I cant hear anything in a call.
Is the Nexus 5 compatible with HD Voice on T-Mobile USA?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
not as bad as N4
When on a call on the call volume is low you can hear a faint distorted signal. It kind of sounds like the phone is working on other tasks in the background more than a distorted signal to me. It's faint but kind of annoying when you realize it. The N4 was worse though.
Has anyone else noticed this is or is it just me?

Poor earpiece quality, finding "sweet spot" and hissing

Hi all
Picked up a Nexus 5 recently (latest model latest revisions) and love the phone but am having issues with the earpiece quality.
I have to constantly move the earpiece/headset around to hear the person and find the "sweet spot", or they fade in and out.
Also I notice a hiss at times.
Reception and earpiece quality overall just don't seem good.
I have iPhone 5, galaxy s4, and htc one and none have these issues.
I am on rogers wireless in Montreal.
Does anyone else have these issues ?
Any idea how I can resolve them ?
Some have suggested changing kernel ?
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks in advance
captiv123 said:
Hi all
Picked up a Nexus 5 recently (latest model latest revisions) and love the phone but am having issues with the earpiece quality.
I have to constantly move the earpiece/headset around to hear the person and find the "sweet spot", or they fade in and out.
Also I notice a hiss at times.
Reception and earpiece quality overall just don't seem good.
I have iPhone 5, galaxy s4, and htc one and none have these issues.
I am on rogers wireless in Montreal.
Does anyone else have these issues ?
Any idea how I can resolve them ?
Some have suggested changing kernel ?
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same low earpiece volume problem.
So i use my phone a lot for voice calls and here's what I've found:
1) Prior to the android update (in stock 4.4.0) the earpiece in-call volume was ok. However the microphone was bad. Meaning other people always complained that i sound very far off and they couldn't hear me clearly. But I could still make calls without using a headset.
2) After 4.4.2 update, the microphone issue seems to be resolved. People tell me that they can hear me better. However the earpiece in-call volume is much lower than before. I can only hear people if I am in a very quiet room and even then I have to strain.
The only way to use the phone for calls is to use a headset (both wired and bluetooth work). The other day I was using my old Samsung Galaxy S3 for a phone call. The difference in clarity for phone calls is night and day. I had to actually lower the volume of the S3 because it was so loud and clear.
At this point, I am not sure whether it's my Nexus phone and a hardware defect. Could it be something that google did in the 4.4.2 update (meaning fixed the microphone, but lowered the in ear volume). Furthermore using a headset at max volume sometimes distorts the audio.
The funny thing is that with the 4.4.2 update the phone speaker is better and louder. However the earpiece for making calls is just plain lousy. I can't take calls unless I am carrying a headset with me.

Call quality

When you call granny, does she keep saying "Huh?! Wut?!" or does the conversation flow pretty well? Rate this thread to express how you feel about the Moto G5 Plus's call quality. A higher rating indicates that calls are clear and crisp, and that regardless of background noise, you can hear the other party clearly (and with ample volume) and they can hear you.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
As for me noise cancellation works correctly, sound is clear enough
The worst call quality in Moto G5. I can hardly hear the other person on the phone. I have to the phone in speaker for listening. Pathetic phone. My first and last Moto Phone. Will sell this phone whenever I get better price.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Better than my previous phone.... Its as clear as it can be
I hear a lot of reviewers and users complaining of low call volume. Personally I don't what they're talking about, all calls I've made and received have been clear plenty loud enough to hear over any background noise. Excellent call quality and reception, better signal strength than my wife's S8+.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
For me there is this call quality issue too. It is worst when putting the phone between head and shoulder. It is no issue using the speaker.
Another related issue might be, when I try to use the Google Assistant while driving. I was using e.g. "Ok Google, what is my next turn". This only works with my G5+ having the engine switched off. As soon as there is background noise the voice commands get not detected.
My guess is a quite bad microphone.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
There are issues with call quality, even after the software patch. My call recipients have been very frequently complaining about the terrible audio quality(a faulty noise cancellation system/ mediocre mic).
If this issue doesn't go away with next update, its definitely a hardware problem. I'll hold my decision till then :|
I received my new G5 Plus yesterday. I've made a couple of calls on it using the bluetooth in my car (2015 Subaru WRX) and I was heard loud and clear. On my end, however, audio was very low and it was difficult to hear the conversation. I had to turn the car radio all the way up which resulted in the radio blasting when finished with the call. Listening to voicemail on the handset, the audio does seem low.
n7slc said:
I received my new G5 Plus yesterday. I've made a couple of calls on it using the bluetooth in my car (2015 Subaru WRX) and I was heard loud and clear. On my end, however, audio was very low and it was difficult to hear the conversation. I had to turn the car radio all the way up which resulted in the radio blasting when finished with the call. Listening to voicemail on the handset, the audio does seem low.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Return the device, lenovo does not have not have fix for the low volume bug.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Does anyone know how to increase speaker volume? I already used and changed the mixer_paths.xml but it did not increase anything ... Where can I be wrong?
ROM stock
sigulda1 said:
It is worst when putting the phone between head and shoulder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This right here, I always do this and as soon as I do it people tell me they can barely hear me. I did try HD voice for the first time the other day since I switched to Verizon and that sounded like perfection though.
Don't know if you're still soliciting comments on call quality - but I have an interesting perspective. I've had the G5 plus since May of 2017. It's been great. Call quality was clear in both directions, in speakerphone or regular mode. Speaker volume for media (YT, Pandora, etc) was more than adequate. Then, about a week ago, it thought it was hooked up to charger when it wasn't, and wouldn't charge properly. I did an advanced warranty exchange through Moto, and the new one arrived on Monday.
The original phone never went above -35 firmware. This new one arrived with -83. The new one is still plenty loud with media content - but horrendous with in-call volumes. The speakerphone is barely louder than on regular mode. And that's with the volume turned up all the way. I'm calling Moto tomorrow to get this exchanged.
FWIW, both phones were rooted day one - using the same approach. I will relock and flash and unrooted stock image back to the phone tomorrow to verify that this isn't a kernel issue - and I suspect it isn't.
TL;DR - there may be legitimate hardware differences between the same model G5 Plus (RETUS) phones. That may account for why some complain about the issue and others have never seen a problem.
------------
Well, several hours later, after rolling back to 35 and bone stock, I had FULL volume on this new replacement phone. I've rooted it, and added my apps, and the volume has remained full, both speakerphone and earpiece. So I don't think it's hardware.
I'm downloading -83 and will apply that tomorrow to see if that's where the problem returns. Will post results here.
And to add on to my last post - after flashing the latest (.83) stock firmware, the speakerphone is hosed again. This is with a locked bootloader/unrooted clean image. Went back to .35 and speaker works again. I think Moto has a bug in their .83 software.
erkme73 said:
And to add on to my last post - after flashing the latest (.83) stock firmware, the speakerphone is hosed again. This is with a locked bootloader/unrooted clean image. Went back to .35 and speaker works again. I think Moto has a bug in their .83 software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice too see someone doing some correct diagnosis, sadly the chances of Motorola reading this are zero.
Just to add, my uk G5plus has also never had volume issues, but then we seem to be the last place to get any updates, only had august update a month.
matrixzone said:
The worst call quality in Moto G5. I can hardly hear the other person on the phone. I have to the phone in speaker for listening. Pathetic phone. My first and last Moto Phone. Will sell this phone whenever I get better price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will u tell pls, Where from j bought the phone & what's ur exact model no XT-16xx?
Its a real dealbreaker that with so many awesome PIE custom ROMs around with their awesome kernels with all the goodness of Gcam ports and awesome battery lives, the only bummer seems to be the in-call volume in the custom ROMs. Also, any MP3 played in any music player just is not loud enough as stock. Just because of this reason, I have decided to go Stock until that issue is resolved in the custom ROMs. All the developers "claim" that their ROMs have the Oreo firmware. My question is that is not the sound part of the firmware? How can they screw up that basic function when upgrading all the other cosmetics with kernels and all? A terrible workaround for this issue in the custom ROMs that I have heard is to "use Viper4android" or some other stuff to correct the audio.
Call quality is very poor on AT&T, mostly because of AT&T's lack of support for this device. Thing is, I bought this device for it's advanced features, which I have not been able to take advantage of to this day. I've been trying since day one of buying this device to get them to support wifi calling, HD voice, and VOLTE features on this device. The VOLTE is the worst, because when I'm on a phone call, it automatically downgrades my internet and/or mobile hotspot to HSPA+.
Sadly, AT&T only seems to care about supporting devices that are purchased directly through ATT these days. It is disappointing since when I first purchased this device, I was using a Tmobile Pre-paid SIM card and those features worked fine on there. Truth is, that is why I'm on XDA forums being active again, hoping to maybe find a solution to my problem here since AT&T support can't help me at all.
I've used Moto g 2013 and 2nd gen before. The call quality on those were excellent especially in the 2nd gen. I can't say the same about g5 plus tho. On a quiet place, the call quality is okay but it becomes hard to understand what's being said from the other side even in a mildly crowded place.

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