Help HTC Incredible - Sound Quality

[inexile]

The sound quality on my Incredible is bad, especially compared to by Blackberry. Has anybody else had this issue? Verizon thinks it may be a bad handset and they're going to replace it, but I'm wondering if I should switch back to the Blackberry. Any thoughts?

 

[Gibbs]

I haven't had any sound quality issues. What is the specific issue for you? Is it call sound quality or just overall all sound? Only thing is lack of bass but that is an issue with all small speakers.

 

[chaosphere33]

I noticed the same, in terms of it seems like I cant hear the calls good when I have the phone up to my ear ( and I have great hearing), and find myself turning the volume up, and I find it even worse when I have it on speaker. Its very quite, and not suitable for the highway. Its making me for sure getting a Bluetooth headset for highway, etc. Other then the fact it seems to lack a good loud volume and and bass, it sounds great to me...Its disappointing, but you could always get a headset, or an external speaker if need be.

 

[beenz]

The call quality sounds great on my Incredible. I never use the external speaker, that's what headphones are for

 

[LandLockedPH]

Agreed. Both my wife and I got an Incredible the week they were released and have experienced the same issue. The sound is very robotic (no Android pun intended) and the words are "chopped off". This doesn't happen on all calls and the sound is fine through the Bluetooth. I called Verizon and they said to bring the phones into the local store for a tech to review. So far, very disappointing.

 

[Gibbs]

wow I guess I got lucky. I haven't had any of the problems people keep citing about the screen, sound quality, etc. I find myself turning the volume down because it is too loud and hurting my ear.

 

[beinenson]

Just waited 3 weeks to get my Incredible. And the sounds quality on it VERY Incredible. Called all my friends today and it is not only on my end. They also here a bad sound quality. If you drive, in some places it is better than others but overall terrible sound quality. I am not even talking about bars that do not work. I have 29 left before returning the phone, and if apple comes out with something good tomorrow. I will port back to AT&T. Very sad.

We got two phones for the company, both are bad. HTC we know you read these forums, when will there be an update. More people talk about it.

Has anyone heard of a fix?

 

[lazy bum]

I'm having problems with incoming voice being clipped or just cutting out. Apparently the person I'm talking to hears me fine.

The voice clipping sounds like a frequent problem. Some have said that using blue tooth headsets seems to avoid the problem but I haven't tried that yet.

I've read some sites saying HTC has acknowledged the problem and are supposed to release an update, but we have no timetable in when that will happen (and, of course, have no idea if it will even solve the problem).

Makes it difficult for those of us trying to decide in our 30 day window. I'm 1 week in, so I'm hoping something firm about the issue comes out in the next 3 weeks. I love the phone otherwise, a lot more than my iPhone 3G.

 

[iowabowtech]

I've had 2 Incredibles so far and they both have sound quality issues. Not super bad but nowhere near the constant quality in my Curve. Same deal with me, kinda choppy sounding at times. I usually have to ask a caller to repeat themselves at least once per call. I'm hoping an update solves this problem.

 

[techguymd]

I am experiencing the same... Instead of continuing to fuss at my girlfriend for "mumbling", I have resolved that its the phone. Again, like everyone else, I am disappointed b/c everything else has been "Incredible", but literally at night, I have to hold my phone away from my ear on speaker to have a chance - or use my wireless BT stereo headphones. And my BB Pearl was fine.

 

[sgtmilstack]

+1. I'm waiting for a replacement device due to the poor call quality. I hope that the problem is not hardware (earpiece) based, but my thinking is leaning in that direction.

 

[memillh]

+1. I'm waiting for a replacement device due to the poor call quality. I hope that the problem is not hardware (earpiece) based, but my thinking is leaning in that direction.

I don't think it is an earpiece issue. I can hear the same problems through the bluetooth in my car - as well as via headset. At least for me, I'm thinking it's a hardware issue within the phone, but not the earpiece. Standing by for my replacement to arrive on Wednesday. It'll be my third phone.

 

[mike146]

I have just started to have this problem, but only with a wired headset. Haven't had the issue at all and have had the phone from day one. Today I finally got a headset and have had this problem with the headset. Not a deal breaker for me, but not happy about it.

 

[memillh]

I don't think it is an earpiece issue. I can hear the same problems through the bluetooth in my car - as well as via headset. At least for me, I'm thinking it's a hardware issue within the phone, but not the earpiece. Standing by for my replacement to arrive on Wednesday. It'll be my third phone.

Well, luck would have it, I found a Best Buy with a few in stock. So, instead of waiting for the replacement they mailed to me, I have a brand new unit. And I'm happy to report, the call quality is definitely much better. For those coming over from iPhones, I will say that the voices in general sound a little more digitized / compressed on Verizon. AT&T sounds more like a landline (when you can even get a signal). So, outside of the slightly digitized sound, which I'll get used to, voices are no longer clipped and garbled. Woohoo!

 

[schtip8bit]

The only time i ever feel i have good quality is when someone calls me from a land line. Aside from that everyone sounds like they are whispering and the only way to hear them is to put them on speaker.

 

[memillh]

I would reco trying to get a replacement. There's definitely a bad batch out there. I'm about a day in now with my third new handset and I can honestly say my calls have been loud and clear so far. I'm glad I didn't give up (although it shouldn't take 3 tries).

 

[Droid613]

I just got my DINC yesterday and had the same issue with call quality that several other people have been talking about. People at the other end say that the call quality is great, but I get scratchy reception with pops, loss of syllables, fade out, etc. Notice it more with higher pitched voices (like my wife's) and not so much with deeper male voices. Obviously though if you cannot understand the person you talk to the most on your cell phone, you have a problem.

Ran through all the various suggestions in the forums with no change. Finally called Verizon and they had me try it with my earbud headset (should have thought of that). Wife sounded fine. Apparently some problem with the speaker.

Had my choice of either waiting until mid-August for a new DINC (and paying for a new DINC until I returned the one I had), going with the Droid X, or getting a "like-new" unit. Decided to try the "like-new" unit since it will arrive tomorrow and I don't have to pay anything (even temporarily) for it. Hopefully the more stringent quality tests they run every "like-new" unit through will work in my favor.

Verizon was very easy and pleasant to work with. No hassles. Helped that I had already done all the standard stuff (except for the headphone test).

I'll let people know how the "like-new" unit turns out.

Droid613

 

[Droid613]

"Like-new" unit arrived today. Screen seems slightly darker but everything is working fine. Can hear my wife, no problems with sound on either end of the call.

 

[khanusma]

My phone seems to have gotten worse since first purchasing. It seems like the vibration or something is making voices sound scratchy. Maybe I blew out the speaker or gave it a really tiny tear or something.

Took it to store and told them it sucks and that I am dropping calls. The "device specialist" listened to it and saw the bars jumping from zero to four and decided that a new phone was in my best interest.

Ill try and remember to post back.

 

[jdre]

A year since the last post here: sounds like calls are comiing through a kazoo. Switched to Droid x because Incredible had sporadic touchscreen problems, and had no problem with sound. Just switched back to Incredible 2 because Droid x had some touchscreen and software problems, noticed the horrible sound quality and am switching again.

 

[Malygris]

So what's the conclusion here - that this is simply hardware failure? I've had my Incredible S for a few months now and I loved it, but over the past week or two the audio quality has collapsed. Callers cut in and out, outgoing rings are half ring but then turn into noisy blasts of static - but the speakerphone seems okay, and rather oddly, if I turn the speakerphone on and then immediately off, it seems to clear up the problem (although I need to do a few more tests to confirm).

Seems similar enough to everyone else's issue that I thought I'd follow up here. Is there any hope of a fix aside from repairing or replacing the thing?

Thanks.