Database Users

Noise Cancellation

I'm leaning on upgrading to the Nexus S from the Nexus One, but have a few questions concerning noise cancellation. In the tech specs, the Nexus S states it has software noise cancellation. So is it safe to assume it uses software to remove background noise as opposed to the Nexus One which used a secondary mic? How is the software based noise cancellation on the Nexus S performing for people? Would love feedback. I work at a manufacturing plant, and being able to hold conversations in and around noisy equipment is a must. Last question is, does the built in VoIP stack on the Nexus S make use of the noise cancellation?
I would really appreciate the feedback.

I don't know, but in another thread someone posted that their new nexus s performed very bad in a noisy environment, unusable actually. So its worth investigating and owners posting their results for now.

I am pretty sure that "software noise cancellation" is bull****. they just didnt want to disappoint existing Nexus One owners. Maybe Gingerbread in general tries to improve sound quality, but it has nothing to do with Nexus S

I haven't been in a "plant" environment, but have been in a noisy office, and it has performed as well as the N1. I also frequently use the google chat voip calling feature that was added to gmail recently. It mentions "software based" noise canceling. If it's the NS uses the same, then it will be awesome.
How does your N1 perform in your plant environment? I'm guessing it also will have problems.

rhca50 said:
How does your N1 perform in your plant environment? I'm guessing it also will have problems.
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The Nexus One performs great when it comes to noise cancellation. Never had anyone complain. I have tested the noise cancellation by leaving myself a voicemail on my work phone standing next to a centrifuge, and was shocked at the results. Not a hint of background noise. My voice was pronounced and clear, albeit a tad "digitized", which I'm sure is a side-effect of the noise cancellation. Only gripe I have is the low earpiece volume. Even on "full" blast, it's still too low in noisy environments.

I am having complaints from people I talk to using my nexus s. They say that it sounds like they are on speaker phone and that the call is nice and quiet until I start talking; which they say has a lot of static and background noise. Any other people getting complaints from people you talk to using your nexus s?
p.s. I work in a loud environment and never had issues using my N1.

I have commented on this in other threads. I've used a N1 since its launch. I returned my NS after having used it for 3 weeks as my primary phone. The main reason that I returned it is the lack of noise canceling, the ear speaker sounds tinny and on a busy street the traffic noise is picked up by the mic and broadcast in my ear. My N1's in call sound quality is far superior to the NS. The noise canceling really does a good job.

given that the Nexus S uses software noise cancellation instead of a secondary mic, is this something that may be able to be fixed with a new ROM or custom kernel?

generalagony said:
given that the Nexus S uses software noise cancellation instead of a secondary mic, is this something that may be able to be fixed with a new ROM or custom kernel?
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I doubt it, for noise canceling to work in an intelligent way, I would think there needs to be more than one mic. All of the noise canceling headsets I've seen have two mics, including my Jawbone bluetooth which has a button that rests on my cheek.

if you work in noisy environment don't buy this phone. I returned it only because of this problem. Every other problem that people complain here on this forum I didn't have and are nothing when it comes to phone calls. The primary function of the phone is the worst ever. Nobody hear me when I made phone calls from my car (driving, not using blue tooth - yes still legal in some countries) and I had to put the phone always on the speaker phone to be able to hear the other callers. Finally give up and returned the phone. Same isuue with my old Samsung i8910, but i was able to tweak the speaker settings in phone service software.
otherwise great phone.

I have found the that the NS works better than my N1 in general as a phone. The call quality is much better and the ear piece is MUCH better than the N1. N1 was hard to hear in anything above an avg room noise. NS I have to turn it down most of the time and much richer sound than the tin sound of the N1. Been in a few coffee shops that are loud and did calls in them. People on the other end said they could hear the background noise but it was very low and I was very loud and clear. Just my 2 cents.

I am going to try an exchange. I bought one of the first units sold at my local best buy on release morning so maybe I got a bad one. Friend of mine who bought just before me exchanged his and said his new one has much better call quality.

I am going to try to put this to the test. Although currently I am unhappy with the results I am getting recording wise.
The situation is that I own a Galaxy S GT-I9000 and often had complaints about sounding muffled. Now a Nexus S and the complaints are gone.
However. It is very difficult to understand an issue OTHER people are hearing, so I am doing some recording tests in different situations and I will be posting the results to http://technocrate.net in the next day or so.

I'm in the same boat with ya. I thought I was the only one. yeah perfect on the N1 now my wife says I sound garbled on the end. I changed the radio thought that would help but didn't. Just upgraded my from the N1 to the NS other wise the phone is great. I guess there's not a fix for this. I'll be returning mine then. even with the newest radio KI1, same way
Edit: Returning my second one, I'm done with this phone. I'm sad to see it go really like it beside the mic problem. Did samsung happen to fix this later on in a rev. batch?

Phone Fixed Post above
Well called samsung and they me told to send in my second phone in. I explained the issue about the mic to the tech which said they never heard about that issue. Ok well havent got a chance to make it home yet to test it but they replace more than just the mic:
Original Problem:
TECHNICAL INQUIRY - AUDIO/SPEAKER/SOUND/VIBRATION - SPEAKERPHONE NOT WORKING
Problem found:
RINGERTONE INAUDIBLE/NO ADJUST - CAMERA FAILURE - LOCK UP DURING OPERATION (SW)
Solution:
REPLACED COMPONENT - REPLACED COMPONENT - REPLACED PBA
Til i check it when I get home, just to let you guys know. The problem at the top, there system didn't have an option for the microphone. They replaced a lot of stuff but the mic only problem was the problem? I was liked its not the speaker just the mic to the tech. She said it was in the notes about the problem. I've been very happy with samsung trying to fix this issue. so far til i get home.

Speaker quality

Anyone else notice how the Nexus S speaker sound quality is a bit distorted, sort of like static but not really static? It is not that it isn't loud - it is. Rather, the sounds like the sound is not properly coming from the speaker, like something is blocking part of it.
Is it just me?
(BTW I am talking about the speaker in the back, not the ear piece.)

DarkAgent said:
Anyone else notice how the Nexus S speaker sound quality is a bit distorted, sort of like static but not really static? It is not that it isn't loud - it is. Rather, the sounds like the sound is not properly coming from the speaker, like something is blocking part of it.
Is it just me?
(BTW I am talking about the speaker in the back, not the ear piece.)
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ive yet to really notice ANY issue with my phone yet, the speaker sounds just as good as my N1 did

It must be my speaker, then. It is really bothering me.

DarkAgent said:
It must be my speaker, then. It is really bothering me.
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other people have been reporting it as well, maybe im just lucky, but idk

Mine sounds fine... Maybe take it to a local BBY and compare ringtones on each? Maybe that could help you justify your decision.

Mine sounds fine too, although I'll admit the sound isn't as clear and loud as my Epic was.

zachthemaster said:
Mine sounds fine... Maybe take it to a local BBY and compare ringtones on each? Maybe that could help you justify your decision.
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I just did. Same issue on it. I am going to assume it is the same issue on all Nexus S phones.

I would say that on my NS the loud speaker on the back is quite good with amazing bass for a phone speaker, however the phone ear speaker is tinny sounding and very noisy in calls compared to my N1 because of the lack of the noise canceling 2nd microphone. It is a bit disappointing and is the main reason that I may return the NS and hold on to my N1.

slowz3r said:
ive yet to really notice ANY issue with my phone yet, the speaker sounds just as good as my N1 did
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Mine actually sounds a lot better than my N1 did. A lot louder that's for sure.

mine is loud and crisp.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

People have told me that my phone is picking up tons of ambient noise when I am talking to them and my earpiece volume is pretty low on my end. Only complaint about the phone. Hoping that once the custom roms drop they will have the same volume boost i loved so much on my n1 cyanogen roms.

I first noticed it sounded a bit muffled compared to my Vibrant, which should have a similar if not the same speaker. I think it's just a tweaking of the treble that will fix it though... the Vibrant sounded a bit more tinny so I'm quite sure it can be adjusted with an equalizer to sound similar.
DarkAgent said:
Anyone else notice how the Nexus S speaker sound quality is a bit distorted, sort of like static but not really static? It is not that it isn't loud - it is. Rather, the sounds like the sound is not properly coming from the speaker, like something is blocking part of it.
Is it just me?
(BTW I am talking about the speaker in the back, not the ear piece.)
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my ear piece is distorted if on max

Front Speaker Sounds Scratchy

Those of you that have gotten your phone, what's your speaker quality like for the front speaker? I noticed that mine is scratchy for higher pitched sounds like a girl talking, but sounds okay for lower pitched sounds. Does anyone else have the same issue? I might try going to the AT&T store tomorrow and seeing if they have any in stock I can exchange mine for.

Well... supposedly going into the store to pick one up might be a longshot, especially on launch day, if it's to be as popular a phone as it appears it will be. As for the scratchiness of the earpiece.... it could be a defect, or it could just be the volume. Hard to say, really.

Didn't engadget say it was that the speaker were really good?

elementaldragon said:
Well... supposedly going into the store to pick one up might be a longshot, especially on launch day, if it's to be as popular a phone as it appears it will be. As for the scratchiness of the earpiece.... it could be a defect, or it could just be the volume. Hard to say, really.
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Yah, I figured it'd be a long shot. If they don't have one perhaps they can order a new one for me. I tried turning the volume down and that only made a difference if it was 1/4 or lower.

Phone mode audio quality and volume.
Well, my Atrix has decent audio on speaker phone mode, but the audio out on the ear piece is a bit scratchy on the highs if turned up to what most would consider a mid volume level. I have to keep the volume down lower than I would like to avoid the scratch.
The phone mic is also very bass heavy. This phone is a great computer, but as a phone it has audio issues, and is bass heavy on TX and RX audio, regardless of EQ settings.
Currently considering if it should go back, as I need a good sounding phone.
Anyone else underwhelmed with the phone audio clarity?
**FIXED**
EDIT: Under settings, Call settings, "Noise suppression" was defaulted to "normal" Turning this to "off" made a massive improvement in all call audio (in a normal non-noisy environment). Now phone has decent call audio.
Hope this helps someone else... This had me concerned.

I had tried changing the option for Noise Suppression to 'Off', but it didn't make any difference for me. I took the phone into ATT and they replaced it without hassle. The new phone sounds much clearer.

I had the exact same problem with my pre-ordered unit. Went into a AT&T store today, and they were reluctant to replace it. After trying to sell accessories, they opened another one, and it sounded the same, so I left.
I went to a larger store and tried their floor model, which was perfect. The rep mentioned that they just received an e-mail about bad speakers, and replaced it without a problem (except trying to push more accessories).
So if you're picking one up, try the speaker first.

Just wanting to clarify, are those with the scratchy audio problem referring to the "earpiece" speaker or the hands free "speaker phone" speaker?
My speaker phone mode sounds great, only had earpiece issues.
And, does anyone know to which speaker the emailed "bad batch" notice was about?

Earpiece speaker

secretlevel said:
Earpiece speaker
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Thanks for that.

I had the same problem. After reading the response, went back to Radioshack and got my phone replaced. Now it sounds good.

I had the same problem with mine as well. Very bad scratchy/rattle sound at high volumes. Had the phone swapped out and the new one is perfect.
Sound quality isn't quite as good as my Samsung Focus; Motorola seems to make things unnecessarily bassy but its clear and usable.

Call Quality...AWFUL!

Is it just me or is the call quality just plain horrendous? It is the opposite of clear; sounds almost muffled and it cuts in and out occasionally. maybe it's just that my signal isn't great at work?
People can hear me, but not well. I set up my VMail and left a message, when I played it back it was difficult to make out, and I'm a very clear speaker.
Am I alone here? Is there any software which can tweak this?
Thanks!
Jason

I haven't noticed this. Call quality is good on my handset. I'm on AT&T in FL.

Yep, you're alone here. It's just you!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

My call quality is pretty good really. Enough to have to turn it down a little. Everything is pretty clear. Make sure both your mic's aren't covered with any of that packaging film. Other than that I don't know what to tell you.

How many bars of reception? Have you tested your signal strength with an app like Phone Info?

im finding that my call quality seems to be slightly better than my nexus s. Seems on par with a friends iphone 4s, but the speaker phone is far better than any other phone I have used

My call quality is perfect! And when compared to the HTC Desire and HTC Desire HD, which are the last two phones I've owned, the call quality is AMAZING!!! lol!

I've found the call quality to be extremely good. Much better than on my previous device (Nexus One). No complaints here.

jason370 said:
Is it just me or is the call quality just plain horrendous? It is the opposite of clear; sounds almost muffled and it cuts in and out occasionally. maybe it's just that my signal isn't great at work?
People can hear me, but not well. I set up my VMail and left a message, when I played it back it was difficult to make out, and I'm a very clear speaker.
Am I alone here? Is there any software which can tweak this?
Thanks!
Jason
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If it cuts in and out occasionally it's a signal issue.

Call quality no issue here either.

No problems for me either - The speaker must be lined up reasonably well with your ear just like any other phone but apart from that, no problems.
Looks like it's just you - or your particular Note might be faulty!

Anyone else think earpiece is too quiet?

Maybe my nexus 6 was just that good but it feels like the v20's earpiece speaker isnt very clear or loud....I can live with lower quality but the sound level is kind of low (hard to hear people in noisy places)

bob2300nx said:
Maybe my nexus 6 was just that good but it feels like the v20's earpiece speaker isnt very clear or loud....I can live with lower quality but the sound level is kind of low (hard to hear people in noisy places)
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Yeah its low (with my over the ear cans), went all in on a descent amp that can usb of my pc and/or directly off my phone. Like my cans to rattle sometimes. With my IEMs though it gets loud after 50-60. Id make sure you have enabled Hi-Fi sound on the phone first and found this app to be very useful in adding some punch and volume to my tracks. ----> Equalizer (by Smart Android Apps)
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

JkdJedi said:
Yeah its low (with my over the ear cans), went all in on a descent amp that can usb of my pc and/or directly off my phone. Like my cans to rattle sometimes. With my IEMs though it gets loud after 50-60. Id make sure you have enabled Hi-Fi sound on the phone first and found this app to be very useful in adding some punch and volume to my tracks. ----> Equalizer (by Smart Android Apps)
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
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Im talking about in call volume through the speaker that you hold up to your ear.

bob2300nx said:
Im talking about in call volume through the speaker that you hold up to your ear.
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Lol!! Oh. No not at all, that's way better than the last phone I had the lgg3.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

Check your phone call settings. There may be an option in there that was enabled by accident.
And/or tell your correspondence to speak up. Lol.

yeah idk, my s7 sounded like crap for phone calls. could never understand the person on the other line. but my V20 sounds amazing. clear, loud etc. kills the s7
Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

I'm experiencing the same. Extremely clear, no issues whatsoever.

Speaking of the Nexus 6. That phone was hands down the best Android phone ever made. If they re-released it with a fingerprint sensor, I would buy it again. Best speakers and sound of any phone. It could have used a better camera, but other than that, 9 out of 10.
As for the speaker sound in the V20. I think it could be a a bit louder. Clarity isn't an issue for me. But it's def not very loud.

On the T-Mobile variant this thing is loud and clear. If I turn it all the way up I can hold it away from my ear in front of me and still hear the other person clear enough to understand them. definitely no issues so far involving that

Lgv20user said:
Check your phone call settings. There may be an option in there that was enabled by accident.
And/or tell your correspondence to speak up. Lol.
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What settings are you talking about?
And people calling me didnt magically decide to speak quietly just because I bought a new phone.
Mikekelso421 said:
Speaking of the Nexus 6. That phone was hands down the best Android phone ever made. If they re-released it with a fingerprint sensor, I would buy it again. Best speakers and sound of any phone. It could have used a better camera, but other than that, 9 out of 10.
As for the speaker sound in the V20. I think it could be a a bit louder. Clarity isn't an issue for me. But it's def not very loud.
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Yes loudness is the issue. Its too quiet if you are anywhere with noise like the grocery store.
Nexus 6 was a good phone but had issues (guess all phones do). The camera was pretty bad and buggy at times. Speakers were great but if you had lower battery they would automatically decrease the volume like 50% (even at max volume) that was insanely annoying. And lastly it throttled speed pretty badly when battery got low. Oh and it was pretty big, alittle smaller screen with the v20 but much smaller in the hand.

bob2300nx said:
What settings are you talking about?
And people calling me didnt magically decide to speak quietly just because I bought a new phone.
Yes loudness is the issue. Its too quiet if you are anywhere with noise like the grocery store.
Nexus 6 was a good phone but had issues (guess all phones do). The camera was pretty bad and buggy at times. Speakers were great but if you had lower battery they would automatically decrease the volume like 50% (even at max volume) that was insanely annoying. And lastly it throttled speed pretty badly when battery got low. Oh and it was pretty big, alittle smaller screen with the v20 but much smaller in the hand.
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Pull up your phone app. Make sure it's on the dial menu and hit the 3 vertical dots in the upper right hand corner. Go to call settings. The last option should be one that reads "more" . Peruse that and see what may help. Good luck.

bob2300nx said:
What settings are you talking about?
And people calling me didnt magically decide to speak quietly just because I bought a new phone.
Yes loudness is the issue. Its too quiet if you are anywhere with noise like the grocery store.
Nexus 6 was a good phone but had issues (guess all phones do). The camera was pretty bad and buggy at times. Speakers were great but if you had lower battery they would automatically decrease the volume like 50% (even at max volume) that was insanely annoying. And lastly it throttled speed pretty badly when battery got low. Oh and it was pretty big, alittle smaller screen with the v20 but much smaller in the hand.
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Only thing I can think of would be to try turning on hearing aid compatibility or maybe messing with the call clarity and noise suppression options and see if that affects anything for ya.
I have both voice clarity and noise suppression turned on and have no problems with low volume at all. I remember reading somewhere on a different phone e that the hearing aid option made it noticeably louder on that specific phone so you could try that and see if it works for this phone.

bob2300nx said:
Maybe my nexus 6 was just that good but it feels like the v20's earpiece speaker isnt very clear or loud....I can live with lower quality but the sound level is kind of low (hard to hear people in noisy places)
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Am finding the same too, this time i have the voice clarity option enabled, lets see if it makes a difference. I find it soft in a quiet room, no idea how this will work out on the street. Might be forced to get a headset in that case.
Which would be a pity becaue this phone is all about audio. My speakers are perfectly fine. Why does the earpiece have to be so quiet