Speaker "not fit for purpose"

[MH75]

Folowing on from the battery poll i thought I would start this one.

I am talking about the external speaker which is used for playing music video sound and sat nav etc, and not the one you use to listen to phone calls.Just to make it clear.

Now I know there has been loads of theads and the general consensus is thats its poor.

So if you think its good then can you please say what branding the phone has if any, just to see if its a software issue( I hope!)

Its probably the biggest disappointment to me on this phone since I was planning to use the sat nav as I do on my old nokias but it is more or less completely useless since not only is it very quite but the sound quality is truly awful.

Anyway thanks for reading and hopefully voting.

I will be sending an email of complaint to HTC and Orange over the weekend so If I get a reply I will post what they say.

 

[nx1977]

It is poor when held. However I get good results when against a surface.

It could be of a type that uses surfaces to generate the sound effect of stereo - bit like those painting speakers.

 

[channelsurfer]

I've found that the sound quality when using the google maps voice navigation in a vent car holder to be perfectly acceptable. The voice is a little robotic but perfectly audible.

My expectations from a phones speaker is to notify me of events, be it calls, messages, emails etc.

In terms of music playback, I wouldn't expect the quality from this kind of handset to be great ...... When I want to listen to music or other media content, I use dedicated external speakers or headphones!

My desire is on t-mobile contract but is unbranded and unlocked.

 

[dunbad]

Hmmmm. Not sure how anyone can say the speaker on the desire is anything other than pooh. No way is it acceptable even. I said in your battery poll that it was just acceptable once you'd set it up. But this no way. The quality is pooh, and the volume level is pants. We need something like SRS WOW for android.

 

[uzetaab]

I've been hearing that some are finding the volume is not loud enough, but I've had no such trouble with mine.

As for the sound quality, it's pretty tinny, but it doesn't sound any worse than pretty much every other similar device I've ever heard, including my ipod touch.

Basically, it sounds pretty much exactly the same as my ipod touch.

interesting note though, I have a sheet of folded up flannelette on my desk for my cat to sleep on. when I put my desire down on it, the sound quality is fantastic. I tried cutting a corner & putting it under the battery cover, but it didn't make any difference.

 

[stueyboy]

The speaker is fine for satnav for me. Pretty loud in fact although the accent is a bit annoying. I don't expect that much from a phone speaker to be honest.

 

[cupidstunt]

I find it annoying that the vastly inferior Nokia 6220 classic had a much better volume level for hands free calls. I can't use my desire in my car for calls as I can't hear the other person. Not bothered about the quality, just the volume!

 

[dolbydan]

I use a jabra sp700 Bluetooth sun -visor speaker very loud, microphone is great for hands free calling also can transmit to radio which is great for music too. But the desire built in speakers and microphone are poop.

 

[robobobo]

Honestly I cut see what your all complaining about,
The speaker on my desire is so much better than any other phone I've owned. It easily beats the ipod touch and the iPhone

In fact the speaker is too loud for me, I have to turn it down! Granted the speaker is a bit thinny for music playback but the only phones you'd really use the external speakers for music plaback would be the Nokia music phones which have 3d surround speakers

I bought my desire sin free with firmware 2. 1 update 1

 

[ou7shined]

I came from the N95 8GB to the Desire and the difference in speaker quality is horrific. My N95 is loud, not tinny and of course stereo. I can't deny that I was disappointed to discover that the toppest handset in the world had a really sub standard speaker. With my N95 it was acceptable to listen to music, films etc through the speakers in hotel rooms or what have you but with the Desire it's his plain annoying. The exception seems to be when playing games then the volume seems to be too loud - perhaps it's just because it is annoying.

 

[uzetaab]

I forgot to mention that I have the Aus Telstra version of the desire.

Could my volume level be due to Smart Volume Free? I don't remember what the difference is anymore.

 

[dunbad]

Honestly I cut see what your all complaining about,
The speaker on my desire is so much better than any other phone I've owned. It easily beats the ipod touch and the iPhone

In fact the speaker is too loud for me, I have to turn it down! Granted the speaker is a bit thinny for music playback but the only phones you'd really use the external speakers for music plaback would be the Nokia music phones which have 3d surround speakers

I bought my desire sin free with firmware 2. 1 update 1

Ok, ill have 20 pounds worth of whatever drug it is that this guy is on!
Oh and yes I have ensured that my media volume is up to its highest, aswell as the hard key.
The quality is pooh, and the volume is pants! SRS WOW, please come to android!

 

[MH75]

Very surprised at the results, cant believe that so many find it acceptable.

Maybe there is a big bunch of defective handsets. I have 5 year old nokias that sound way better. Surely the speaker component will cost all of about 20p and maybe 25p for a good one.

Still thinking about returning the Desire for something else, not sure what though.

 

[ou7shined]

Very surprised at the results, cant believe that so many find it acceptable....

It's the nature of the questions. If the options were just "good" or "bad" I think you would have seen different results. I voted that the speaker is bad, yet as it clearly functions (albeit not very well) I cannot in all honesty say it is unacceptable.

 

[talbess]

I can't believe anyone could find the speaker on my Desire acceptable. Its the tinniest, worst sounding speaker on a phone I have ever heard!!!!

The fact that more than 50% of people say theirs is acceptable makes me think mine must be faulty.

My phone is also from Telstra (I've had it 3 days) and I'm taking it back now as I think that crap sound must be a defective batch.

 

[willis]

HTC have always had a major issue with multimedia despite their revolution into android and sense for the mass market.
I remember heavy petitions for video formats to be supported. Cameras have always been weak too, although desire isn't bad.
The speaker is indeed terrible compared to other devices, some much older.

 

[talbess]

Well, I'm just back from my local Telstra shop. Had a good listen to two brand new in box phones and one shop demo and they all sounded just as bad as mine.

The more I use this phone the more I love its features (like when someone emailed me a spreadsheet today and it opened and displayed it perfectly), its a great pity it is let down by the rubbish speaker sound.

I think (hope) it might be a software issue because bass sounds aren't really bad, its the high sounds (like the screechy chick on Google Navigation) that sounds really horrible.

 

[tef89]

The speaker is indeed naff. Handsfree calls it's prone to crackle and distortion at any decent volume, media playback is better but not great.

That said I kinda accepted it wouldn't be that great so I wasn't surprised and it doesn't put me off the phone.

 

[Deleted User]

It's not great when used as a loudspeaker for phone calls. My old phone was better.

 

[FelixofMars]

I am on an Orange Desire and I think they are acceptable for use in terms of its a mono speaker in a small device. I am not expecting surround sound or even a stereo volume. Also people who wander around in public playing their phones need a stern talking to you have headphones for that.

The only issue is that it distorts quite a bit, the volume is not an issue but then I have almost perfect hearing and I am in my 30's now. Not many people can say that

 

[RobbM]

I find it good. Its a tiny little speaker, if you use it enough as a hands free in the car, use a proper bluetooth kit?

I used this in works van for some music, when we had a spare with no radio, it was in a little din sized hole, so it was 'amplified' a little, but it cut through the road/engine noise at 60mph on the motorway. It wasnt perfectly clear, but it reproduced the song to an acceptable level with enough volume and did exactly what i needed it to. If i used it more in the car, id use bluetooth hands free, it would be far superior, even compared to the best phone speaker ect.


Has anyone heard the sony X10's volume? Now that is bad!

Ps, im on unbranded 2.1 with the first update.

 

[ou7shined]

I am on an Orange Desire and I think they are acceptable for use in terms of its a mono speaker in a small device. I am not expecting surround sound or even a stereo volume. Also people who wander around in public playing their phones need a stern talking to you have headphones for that.

The only issue is that it distorts quite a bit, the volume is not an issue but then I have almost perfect hearing and I am in my 30's now. Not many people can say that

Compared to other smaller devices which have been out for years the quality is appalling. FYI my old Nokia N95 8GB has surround sound and clarity at a reasonable volume. From what you say in your post it would appear that your need for an external speaker is different to that of those of us who perhaps are used to listening to music or watching films etc. on our devices. For example, when I tour with my band we have been able to use my N95 for background music at our Apr

 

[david_inuk]

I agree with all those who are saying that the speaker volume is poor, very poor!

 

[Mec63]

Compared to other smaller devices which have been out for years the quality is appalling. FYI my old Nokia N95 8GB has surround sound and clarity at a reasonable volume. From what you say in your post it would appear that your need for an external speaker is different to that of those of us who perhaps are used to listening to music or watching films etc. on our devices. For example, when I tour with my band we have been able to use my N95 for background music at our Apr

 

[mbatson89]

I think a mediocre speaker is a pretty fair trade off given the technology housed in the Desire, sure, they could have built in a bigger, louder, stereo speaker set, but at the cost of other parts or having to make the handset larger/thicker. I for one will happily take the Desire as is.