Michrophone/USB - Acer Iconia A500

As we all know very well our A500 mic sucks in a big way. I was wondering if an USB headset/michrophone would work. Did anybody ever tried? How did it work?

I've never actually tried the Mic on mine.. is it really that bad?

don't think so...
I have tried a Logitech USB headset I normally use on PC with Skype, doesn't work ... I'm on 3.1...
Marcher

That's really a bad news. I was hoping on that usb mic.
And no, it's not that bad... it's worse! I am using computers since 1980 and I never ever experienced such a bad microphone. Not even the cheapest crappy ones are this bad. I really like my a500 and I am happy with it but this mic issue is a big problem for me. To the point that if I can't solve it I will be forced to sell it. I even wrote to Acer asking for explanation but nobody ever bothered to answer. When, months ago I called them (Acer Italian Assistace) asking: "Where is the mic"? Nobody was able to give me an answer... The guy didn't even know the a500 had a mic. I do believe this is unacceptable.

bluemax137 said:
That's really a bad news. I was hoping on that usb mic.
And no, it's not that bad... it's worse! I am using computers since 1980 and I never ever experienced such a bad microphone. Not even the cheapest crappy ones are this bad. I really like my a500 and I am happy with it but this mic issue is a big problem for me. To the point that if I can't solve it I will be forced to sell it. I even wrote to Acer asking for explanation but nobody ever bothered to answer. When, months ago I called them (Acer Italian Assistace) asking"Where is the mic"? Nobody was able to give me an answer... The guy didn't even know the a500 had a mic. I do believe this is unacceptable.
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Click to collapse
I agree with you on this issue....I feel the mic is good...but its placement is made in such a way that the sound barely reaches there....
Sent from my XT720 using XDA App

I've tried the Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000, but neither the microphone nor headset worked.
Surprisingly, the in-line-volume controls worked...

My microphone bottom line
I bought an A500 about 6 weeks ago from Costco for $479, rounded up to about $520 by the time tax was added. I was quite happy with it, until I tried to use speech input, when I discovered the mic problem. I had come to rely on the generally excellent speech input on my OG Droid from 2 years ago. Then Staples came out with their $100 off coupon and the A500 priced at $399, meaning I "overpaid" about $220. I decided to return it, and WAIT. Prices will come down. In the meantime, I miss the tablet.
But here is what I think I learned in the interim.
First, I believe the mic problem to be a hardware issue, rather than software. I could be wrong. Some people claim their problem was fixed when they exchanged units. Some brave types are replacing the hardware.
Workarounds:
I tried a Motorola Bluetooth headset, with mic, but it didn't seem to be much better. That was apparently because the mic portion of the bluetooth spec hasn't been deployed yet. So if that gets fixed, there might be a workaround. I do prefer to be able to speak straight to the tablet however.
I also tried one of those little in-ear wired phones with the 4 contact jacks and an in-line mic. I had high hopes for that, but it didn't seem much better. The fact that that wasn't good either makes me think there is a software/firmware problem IN ADDITION to a hardware mic problem. But I am happy waiting, particularly because Costco's return policy was quite good.

see this photo of the guts
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21019185&postcount=18
could it be the following? hmmmmm .... ACER?
The 2 mics could be for some type of noise cancellation. If by some chance one was wired backwards they would mostly cancel each other, leaving very little audio. Hmmmmm ... didnt research this but maybe that's what everyone is complaining about. Low low recording level would certainly fit the symptoms of a mis-wire. Manufacturing defect? I haven't done any reading or research on this idea just a thought.
I'm actually trying to find out; for a friend, if it's yet possible to get a Bluetooth mic recognized and working ... anyone?
flloydlloyd
Vancouver
Canada

Hello,
I got the mic -problem, too. I called Acer regarding the issue and they said I should send in the device for repair. 6 days later I got a brand-new device, where the microphone is working OK. It's not as crystal-clear as the iPad's mic, but I can do Skype pretty well with it now ;-)
Woody
Sent from my A500 using XDA

woodywoodstock said:
Hello,
I got the mic -problem, too. I called Acer regarding the issue and they said I should send in the device for repair. 6 days later I got a brand-new device, where the microphone is working OK. It's not as crystal-clear as the iPad's mic, but I can do Skype pretty well with it now ;-)
Woody
Sent from my A500 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the work invoice they sent with it, what did they claim was the fix?
I wonder about it being a hardware problem only because you can record your own voice and hear it playback fine. It's only in voip applications that it gets too low to hear. At least thats the case with mine.

It is a hardware problem, no question. A couple of months ago I took my a500 back to the assistance center and they have substituted it with a brand new one.
As somebody else said, things have improved a lot but my mic is still far to be good. Said that, I believe not all the a500 have the same hardware. Probably different tablets get different components. Some mics are better some mics are awful. I solved the problem buying a headset with mic. Now I can talk perfectly using skype, google talk etc etc. That evidently means the problem is not a sw one.
There is thread on this forum about the "right headset to buy". To make it short, we need the "Apple style" ones (sigh) having a plug with 3 little rings.

Hello,
There was no information given on the work-invoice. They just mentioned the issue "audio not recording" and "audio abnormal sound". They then sent me an exchange device.
Best
Woody
Sent from my A500 using XDA

No usb yet
Tried Logitech G35 headset volume an track skip controls work but no mike or sound
I have looked through source of HC I am not a developer but can read. There is Linux salsa sound support. Even USB sound card support but not turned on or supported. There are people urging Google to turn it on in ics . It hasn't happened yet. My experience was my tablet was almost deaf, I even opened it up switched mikes, disconnected rear mike, drilled small hole as mine was completely covered over. I could see a small rectangle opening in the front mike compartment covered over by the glass. I made a small hole just above it. All these tests and mods made very little difference. Only solution so far--use a Sony PSP headset with mike in cable, was only mike combo that worked. It has 4 segments on the plug---same configuration that some camcorders have. Not a common plug.

USB sound works but very poorly
Well I tried USB Audio Tester root -- free on playstore and with a little fiddling with the controls I got sound and mike on my Logitech G35 headset working. Alas the sound was very poor and the mike was always in. ALSO the regular mike and speakers were on as well. Maybe some other USB sound card would work better with this program. At least it proves the Tablet is capable of USB sound FYI. Running Civato’s Flexreaper extreme oc 1200 on v6 bootloader.
I will keep digging for program or controls to make this work.

Related

[Q] 1 or 2 speakers?

I'm confused. I thought I heard stereo sound when I first got it, now it sounds like it's more from the right side. I'm on the phone with Asus now. The guy thinks I only have one speaker. I'm looking on both ends and see little holes on both sides. Can someone confirm if this has stereo speakers or a mono speaker?
this is a known issue.
many having the same issue where sound louder on one side.
edit: and there are two speakers
I plugged it into my car and the right speakers were louder then my left .. weird
CyberChulo said:
I'm on the phone with Asus now. The guy thinks I only have one speaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asus tech support thought that the Transformer runs Windows 7 when I called for a different issue... it's like a bike mechanic trying to fix an airplane :/
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
EP2008 said:
Asus tech support thought that the Transformer runs Windows 7 when I called for a different issue... it's like a bike mechanic trying to fix an airplane :/
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here... but I emailed EVERY name I could find on the net of people at the US HQ and a tech actually called me(not one from the call center) and was VERY helpful. I too have the right side speaker louder than the left. Many thought it was a software issue but the tech said none of the ones in the office were doing that and were even(he checked after he saw my email) and were running the same FW. He believes it's a HW issue, like maybe there was a batch that was affected, or maybe it was the first batch (he confirmed my dock was from the first batch) So he is going to use my unit to figure out what the problem is and hopefully then they will be able to resolve everyone's that's having an issue. My replacement will be here tomorrow and I ship out the one with the lower left volume to him so hopefully we find out officially what is causing this.
Trust me the call center is useless!! They said the same thing to me about it running windows 7. After my email the tech at HQ said they have been discussing it a lot and are going to work to get the call center up to speed and know the product off the top of their heads(the call center is in Jamaica btw)
lithiasalesjs said:
I plugged it into my car and the right speakers were louder then my left .. weird
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Click to collapse
You mean the right speakers of your car were louder? That would indicate that it is a sw problem instead of a hw problem as graffixnyc suggested.
I knew it wasn't one speaker. I've had the unit for 2 weeks and all of a sudden I only hear from one side. Not that the left side is a little weaker, but none from the left side at all. I'm going to go ahead and do the RMA. Either it's cheap hardware with the speakers (the Transformers is a cheap $$$ you know compared to the other tablets) or I blew out the speaker. It was working fine for two weeks where the audio was centralized without any issues. The last thing I remembered doing before this happened was clearing out the Market cache. I doubt that would've caused this.
graffixnyc said:
same here... but I emailed EVERY name I could find on the net of people at the US HQ and a tech actually called me(not one from the call center) and was VERY helpful. I too have the right side speaker louder than the left. Many thought it was a software issue but the tech said none of the ones in the office were doing that and were even(he checked after he saw my email) and were running the same FW. He believes it's a HW issue, like maybe there was a batch that was affected, or maybe it was the first batch (he confirmed my dock was from the first batch) So he is going to use my unit to figure out what the problem is and hopefully then they will be able to resolve everyone's that's having an issue. My replacement will be here tomorrow and I ship out the one with the lower left volume to him so hopefully we find out officially what is causing this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us know how this goes - I've got the same issue.
I'm hoping it's software, as they can just send out a patch. I'd rather not RMA the unit, but if they determine it's a hardware issue, I'll contact them and get mine swapped out.
Ok. I loaded up some stereo tests from youtube and the left speaker is dead. Try this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ODm-F9-IM I think this is a hardware issue and not a firmware issue.
My left speaker isn't dead, just less loud. All I need is a balance control. Hmmm, somewhere I have a sound dB meter, have to dig that out and measure the relative outputs.
I had the same issue with left speaker dead. first it was crackling/popping/distorted then dead. Asus gave me a DOA code to give to the retailer for a new one. New one has no speaker issues but does have light bleed which I can live with.
The joys of being cutting edge in tech.
I'm not sure what to do now. Should I get a refund from Amazon and purchase another one or send this one in to Asus?
I just tested mine; received around may 2nd from amazon (ordered on the 26). Speakers seem fine; definitely has right/left and volume is not hugely different. I'm still on the .6 firmware since the .9 is not available ota.
I got my Transformer yesterday, I've just tested the sound and the right speaker is louder than the left. I'm on the latest firmware.
Edit: Do people using different rom's also have the speaker issues?
CyberChulo said:
Ok. I loaded up some stereo tests from youtube and the left speaker is dead. Try this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ODm-F9-IM I think this is a hardware issue and not a firmware issue.
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Click to collapse
Actually a pretty good test. Left seems to be working but definitely less volume and body then right...
Awesome. Definately working, seems quieter, but not by as much as I'd have thought...
Just a note guys, I thought my left speaker was dead and tried the speaker test on youtube. At first it sounded like it was only coming out of the right and it was definitely missing a beat, so I was like "efff ..rma time." Then I played it again and it sounded like it was coming from the left only, so I tried it with headphones on and it was still messed up, and my music sounded wack.
So I just ended up doing a full system reboot and it worked fine afterwards, albeit a small difference in volume if anything. This must be a software issue, I'm sure we'll get a fix soon, ASUS is good about that.
I'm going through the exact same thing. Just opened mine up today. I'm letting the IPS flaw of backlight leakage in certain parts go but every song I play is louder in the right speaker and the left is really low. I'm not trying to overlook your hard work but any help you can provide would be great as to where to start contacting Asus. I don't want to call Jamaica...
My Right Speaker is now dead but it worked last week. The HDMI and headphone jack outputs both speakers.
What did everyone else end up doing on this thread to resolve this? Did it end up as an RMA?
haupman said:
My Right Speaker is now dead but it worked last week. The HDMI and headphone jack outputs both speakers.
What did everyone else end up doing on this thread to resolve this? Did it end up as an RMA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the popping and creeking issue (left and right) on my speakers a few days ago, but after three reboots they worked again. Maybe a bit more reboots does the trick for you too...

[Q] External mic on Iconia A500?

I've just bought a Iconia A500. Very happy so far But next week I'm heading back to university and were planning on using it to take notes. On my phone and laptop I've got the Evernote app which works great and syncs across the platforms. It has a feature for recording sound whilst taking notes.
I tried using it on the Iconia, but the internal mic was, to be honest, crap. Cause the lecturer is at least a few meters away and I could hardly hear a thing.
Q: Do you know if it's possible to use a either a USB mic, Bluetooth mic or a standard 3,5mm jack?
I tried first plugging in a standard MIC 3,5mm jack, nothing. Then I tried the combo headset/mic I've got for my HTC Desire; it worked, but the audio was still pretty crap when faced with the problem of a speaker a short distance away. I also tried connecting my H4N zoom recorder (USB), but nothing.
Any ideas or experiences on this???
Thanks for your time
The problem is not the mic, but the 3.1 Android OS, I have connected an external mic and recorder sound is crap. As far as I see our only hope is to wait for 3.2 to fix the issue, and if not contact Acer and ask for a fix. Again is not hardware related issue but software one.
As for external mic to work, you need one that uses the fourth ring (the first one if I not mistake), that is the ones like iPhone and similar headsets with mic integrated, standard mic doesn't work even they are 3.5 mm jacks because the wiring is different.
[]===> (Jack)
. |
mic wiring (1st one of four)
If you have an older batch of the Acer A500, then you are out of luck... or ALMOST
The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...
1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap
People, act. Don't just sit and complain.
rokimbo said:
The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...
1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap
People, act. Don't just sit and complain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir, are a tool .. And completely wrong to boot. Verify facts, then rant - not the other way around.
I'm looking at my A500 right now, I can clearly see the microphone port at the top center (as you say is the "new" design - only bought mine a few weeks ago, but no idea when it was manufactured) and guess what - Microphone quality is rubbish. I'd love for you to be right (because then I would have a working mic!) but, you're not. Now get down off your soapbox.
To the OP,
I don't know what to tell you except to sit the tablet upward facing your instructor or whatever speaker is loudest in the room. Though I'm sure you're probably using it to type notes as well or whatnot? I would recommend a bluetooth mic but I don't think there is such a thing. The only one's I've seen are for camcorders and I'm guessing they are made specifically for them somehow. I feel your pain
Unfortunately, this may not be the best tablet to do what you want to do with it. If you just bought it, maybe you can return it and try something else? The Transformer is roughly the same price and I haven't heard of people complaining about the mic on that. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 may also be a better choice in terms of mics, but it is more expensive. The Galaxy Tab Plus is coming out and should be $400, in case you don't need a 10" screen. If you want or need the USB port, there's the Toshiba Thrive.
Good Luck.
rokimbo said:
The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...
1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap
People, act. Don't just sit and complain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get this information? I got my A500 the day it was released in the U.S (thus, the old batch) and my mic is in the center. I have never seen an A500 mic under the glass on the left, that's more than likely the light sensor you're talking about.
Furthermore, afaik the mics on all of them are the same. I think the problem some people have is that they think of them like phone mics (multidirectional) and they seem to be (whether by design or not), unidirectional for the most part, capturing sound from directly in front; adding insult to injury, they are noise cancelling so it actively filters background 'noise' which in some cases, consist of the person's voice. In essence, I've found it great if I act like I'm using the tablet to make a video call and speak loud and clearly, but otherwise it's sub par for use as a recording device. I use it for Voice actions and it works exceptionally well, better than my phone - ironically.
I'm no sound engineer, but I bet that if Acer allowed 1 of the mics to turn off or allowed echoing (through a setting in the OS) or put in a mic boost setting, the perceived quality would go up exponentially. This is a case of technology working against itself.
very nice and informative thread
very nice and informative thread. Thanks to you who have contributed. Exciting the understanding that it is not a hardware problem but a software problem. My mic is also bad even when I use an external headset. Good to understand that even if you put an external headset remains the built-in mic active.
mikkel

About microhone

As I had problems with microphone (sound very metallic and very low) I did a test, that is, I removed the back cover and I have unplugged one microphone because there are two, one for the front camera and one camera back (the one on the cover).
Before disconnecting a microphone two, I had a rotten side of his hood and side camera screen and acceptable side mainitenant that I have unplugged the microphone, I have a good quality sound in all cases of figures. Now I ask myself the question, is there no conflict of microphones? (interférences. ...) when the two are connected. If anyone wants to try to confirm my intuition I'm sure of myself and be able to offer the problem to Acer.
traduction French to English by Google
Thanks
I would LOVE to get this microphone problem fixed. Voice input, which I have come to rely on with my Droid 1, 2 years old, is unusable on my A500. Aside from that, I love it. But this problem makes me want to return it.
My mic has never worked. Can't record sound at all. And try as I might with a jewelers eyeloop, I cannot see the mic hole where it's supposed to be (in the groove, just above the glass near the center.) I'm tempted to try to take it apart and swap the mics to see if there's any difference.
The mica are where everyone says they are.the rear mic is not for sound pickup but to cancel out background noise.I can see how unhooking it could improve the Mic loudness.but at the same time I think it would cause.static in its quality or feedback.
I am considering going to radio shack and replacing the mics.
from what I have heard the hardware is not the issue. I hear it worked fine before a certain 3.1 OTA.
Why the hell the mice is on the back where the unit has a front facing camera obviously for talking that's just wrong.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
dito33 said:
Why the hell the mice is on the back where the unit has a front facing camera obviously for talking that's just wrong.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone already said it's for noise cancellation. The front mic picks up voice + noise, the back one picks the same noise. So you can cancel the noise using proper dsp techniques.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
I just bought GrooVe IP and made a test call last night. The other person could hear me just fine. I'll make some more tests, but maybe I'm not having the mic problems that others are having. I've never had any problems with the wifi not connecting or being slow after waking.
msimindlessmsi2 said:
from what I have heard the hardware is not the issue. I hear it worked fine before a certain 3.1 OTA.
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Click to collapse
That is what I have read too, but cannot confirm as I updated to 3.1 right after I received my Iconia.
I've tried the whole plug in a wired Cell Phone Headset/Mic, but that does not resolve the low mic volume for me (the other side still can barely hear me, even with their speakers on max)
I am hoping one of the custom ROMs or Kernels that are being developed fix this issue. So far, I have not seen it addressed, and does not seem many people are concerned :-( (with exception of a few people here)
GShyneDM said:
That is what I have read too, but cannot confirm as I updated to 3.1 right after I received my Iconia.
I've tried the whole plug in a wired Cell Phone Headset/Mic, but that does not resolve the low mic volume for me (the other side still can barely hear me, even with their speakers on max)
I am hoping one of the custom ROMs or Kernels that are being developed fix this issue. So far, I have not seen it addressed, and does not seem many people are concerned :-( (with exception of a few people here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last A500 I owned had a good working microphone. I tested it multiple times and playback volume was good even if the sound was slightly muffled. As soon as I updated it to 3.1 OTA, the microphone recording level became very low and barely audible unless I spoke loudly and directly into the microphone. I flashed a backup of 3.01 and the microphone recording level was still poor. I returned the A500 and decided to buy a different brand of tablet.
Rob

Screen whine ?

I recently purchased an a501 and I noticed for the first time today that it has a faint high pitched whine coming from the back of the unit, most noticeably from the speaker cutouts. It gets louder when plugged into the charger, but is still extremely faint. The noise is not present when using headphones, and adjusting the brightness or turning off the auto brightness makes no difference. I originally thought maybe the speakers were picking up something, maybe from a bad ground, but the noise is extremely consistent. it never changes pitch and only gets slightly louder when plugged in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbBNIfeDp_4&feature=player_embedded
I have tried a factory reset hoping it was a bad driver install or something , but it is still there.
Don't notice it on my 501. Could be an issue with a somewhat faulty speaker connection internally.
Could be RF interference also. Have you taken it to a different location other than your home?
This is a judgment call on whether to keep it or return it for replacement. So if you can live with it, keep it. If it disturbs you, then replace it.
Moscow Desire said:
Don't notice it on my 501. Could be an issue with a somewhat faulty speaker connection internally.
Could be RF interference also. Have you taken it to a different location other than your home?
This is a judgment call on whether to keep it or return it for replacement. So if you can live with it, keep it. If it disturbs you, then replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Internal RF noise or audio gain set to high in software. What rom and kernel are you running. I would exchange.
I noticed the whine when charging, its very strange that when i scroll a web page the whine gets louder and quiets when i stop.
Never noticed the whine while not charging, in am not sure it comes from the speakers, if i place my ear on the device i can hear it basically everywhere.
I have a stock a500 on 3.2
My first post on XDA nice to be here
Change it. It shouldn't be doing that. Your new post confirms this.
Probably, something internally, is not shielded correctly. As I stated somewhat earlier as with improper connections and RF interference. But it seems the RF, is coming from your tab. I'll bet, somebody forgot to shield something.
Probably, your tab will not be effected mechanically. Probably last for several years.
But that noise, if it bothers you, is abnormal.
I have a stock a501 with 3.2, from Orange Romania.
may be a software error?
balcanic said:
I have a stock a501 with 3.2, from Orange Romania.
may be a software error?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really, really doubt it's a software error. High-pitched interference that goes away when headphones are plugged in, ie. when the speaker assembly is turned off? That actually reminds me of these age-old audio cards built into PC motherboards 6-10 years ago, they almost always produced this high-pitched interference sound that went immediately away if you switched to a proper discrete audio card, without changing any other component or software package in the system.
Nope, I do have to agree with posters above: there's likely shielding missing somewhere or perhaps it's gotten loose and that's why you hear that interference. Such an issue cannot be fixed with software, but it also won't damage anything, ie. it's not dangerous and it won't cause any other damage to your tablet. Backup everything and take it to warranty repair, explain the issue in clear terms and ask for a replacement.
What is strange, it reaches 80% load noise disappears.
The noise does not disappear if i plug in the earphones, perhaps if i stuck them in my ears and play something i wont hear the noise, but its stil there.
My girlfriend has already started complaining about the noise when i charge at night by the bed
Can anybody absolutly confirm they dont have the noise on their a500/501
On my tablet A501 there is this noise. In Romania it is hard to find service stations, to be performant and serious.
There are two service stations approved by the importer.
catalin7810 said:
Can anybody absolutly confirm they dont have the noise on their a500/501
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I can. I have absolutely NO noise whatsoever, when charging or when not charging.
Are you charging it when you hear the noise. The charger's transformer whines when in use. This is common on almost every transformer. The a500 charger is lowd! I can hear it across the room.
Sent from my A500 using xda premium
I have no noise at all out of mine.. If it did it would have been exchanged .
I think this is caused by what electronic people call dirty dc voltage..can be anything from a grounding issue. bad capacitor on the electronics to a trace on the silicon boards to close together. and on and on..
I WOULD SAY send it back or take it in and exchange it .
Noise bothers me very badly i even trained my spouse you YELL AT ME Silently when she is upset about something .
GIGGLES
Frankly, aside from this problem with buzzing, tablet works very well. I think they send back to Orange and to come worse than now.
I sent a message to the service dealing with Acer, but they said that if the tablet is functioning normally, there is no problem.
balcanic said:
Frankly, aside from this problem with buzzing, tablet works very well. I think they send back to Orange and to come worse than now.
I sent a message to the service dealing with Acer, but they said that if the tablet is functioning normally, there is no problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if it functions normally, and you don't wish to argue the point, what can you do? Like you said, get something worse in return? It happens.
If you can live with it, well, then do so. I suppose one could pop off the back cover, and check for shielding, as I believe that is the issue. Probably some idiot forgot to put a little shielding around a certain part during assembly, and you get the RF noise.
Unfortunately, people in the States do not quite understand how things are in some parts of Europe. You just can't return it, when it functions correctly. Not sure about Orange's policy.
Well, it works fine, but, if you have any questions, please let us know. We can help you on the other stuff.
Happy New Year to you!!
I have no strange noises coming out of my Iconia and my charger doesn't make a noise either.
As far as I'm concerned an Iconia making strange noises is NOT functioning normally. It could be a symptom of a larger problem and your tablet might suddenly die, you can never be too sure if it will or not.
Sent from my Acer Iconia A501 using XDA Premium App.
(Acer Iconia A501 + Samsung Galaxy S I9000T)
My A500, had it for two weeks, whines when it charges. The sound doesn't last long. I'm not sure where it's coming from, but I think the tablet, not the power transformer but will check tonight.
The A500 has a one year warranty (US), so based on what I've read here I won't be sending it in for rma unless it breaks. I love really like the A500 but a year from now will be ready for something new.
starfcker69 said:
My A500, had it for two weeks, whines when it charges. The sound doesn't last long. I'm not sure where it's coming from, but I think the tablet, not the power transformer but will check tonight.
The A500 has a one year warranty (US), so based on what I've read here I won't be sending it in for rma unless it breaks. I love really like the A500 but a year from now will be ready for something new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noise occurs when using the tablet( when in charging) ? or, when it is in stand by( when in charging)?

[Q] Really quiet microphone. Normal?

Hi guys, I didn't see anything posted here about this so maybe it's just my phone, but does anyone else seem to have a quiet microphone? People are telling me they can barely hear me. I notice this issue on all ROMs including stock, and even though I have the phone NV unlocked for AT&T, even the sound recorder app is playing back my audio at a low volume.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is there any fix (software or hardware)?
If you have taken the phone to the gym and sweat or simply haven't cleaned out the mic area that will probably fixture issue. I took the phone to the gym a couple times and my fiance couldn't hear me afterwards whatsoever. Cleaned the mic and all of as back to normal.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Jersey846 said:
If you have taken the phone to the gym and sweat or simply haven't cleaned out the mic area that will probably fixture issue. I took the phone to the gym a couple times and my fiance couldn't hear me afterwards whatsoever. Cleaned the mic and all of as back to normal.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Hmm, well the mic area looked clean to me, but this was a pre-owned phone I bought from Swappa so I'm not sure if the previous owner did anything. In any case, I called some friends and they said they could hear me fine. I don't know if cleaning the mic did the trick, because using a voice recorder app it still sounds low, but as long as other people can hear what I say, I'm fine with it. Thanks a lot for your help!
phantomsniper773 said:
Hmm, well the mic area looked clean to me, but this was a pre-owned phone I bought from Swappa so I'm not sure if the previous owner did anything. In any case, I called some friends and they said they could hear me fine. I don't know if cleaning the mic did the trick, because using a voice recorder app it still sounds low, but as long as other people can hear what I say, I'm fine with it. Thanks a lot for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad it's working better.. let me know if it persists and I'll do some more research.
I recently snagged an M from Craigslist. The phone is in pretty much brand new condition, not a scratch on this thing, the guy even threw in a brand new Otter Box case for it. It works great, except for the terrible mic quality. No matter who I call, they all complain about the quality, whether I have 5 bars of 4G or not. I've downloaded a few voice recorder apps, and they seem to record in fairly reasonable quality, so I'm not quite sure what the deal is. I've been looking for any reference to poor mic quality for the xt907 for a few days now and this is one of maybe 3 threads on the topic. So obviously it's not a very widespread issue. But I'd still like to be able to use my new phone without resorting to Bluetooth or a wired headset.
Does anyone have any experience with this issue? Or replacing the actual physical mic inside the phone? I've found replacement parts here and there, but they all just say 'XT907 Replacement Mic" etc. If someone has an actual model/part number for the microphone, or know where to find it, I'd greatly appreciate the info.
For the OP, when you cleaned your mic, how exactly did you go about it? I've hit it with compressed air but I haven't taken the phone apart yet.
Thanks again for any help.
WusteHase said:
I recently snagged an M from Craigslist. The phone is in pretty much brand new condition, not a scratch on this thing, the guy even threw in a brand new Otter Box case for it. It works great, except for the terrible mic quality. No matter who I call, they all complain about the quality, whether I have 5 bars of 4G or not. I've downloaded a few voice recorder apps, and they seem to record in fairly reasonable quality, so I'm not quite sure what the deal is. I've been looking for any reference to poor mic quality for the xt907 for a few days now and this is one of maybe 3 threads on the topic. So obviously it's not a very widespread issue. But I'd still like to be able to use my new phone without resorting to Bluetooth or a wired headset.
Does anyone have any experience with this issue? Or replacing the actual physical mic inside the phone? I've found replacement parts here and there, but they all just say 'XT907 Replacement Mic" etc. If someone has an actual model/part number for the microphone, or know where to find it, I'd greatly appreciate the info.
For the OP, when you cleaned your mic, how exactly did you go about it? I've hit it with compressed air but I haven't taken the phone apart yet.
Thanks again for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compressed air would probably work, I just blew into it to clear any dust, and I tried to take a small microfiber cloth and insert the corner into the mic piece just in case there was any extra dust, though the mic hole was pretty clean to begin with.
I mostly had the problem when I called my dad though, and I found out the problem was a problem with the earpiece in the Droid 2 Global that my dad was using. When I switched him to an older Sony Ericsson w518a, the voice still seemed a *tiny* bit quieter than I think it should, but by no means was it as bad as with the Droid 2 Global.
tl;dr: I pretty much came to the conclusion that the earpiece of the other person was faulty, not the mic of the Razr M.
I also have the same issue with the outgoing voice quality of the Razr M. After a lot of researching I have come to the conclusion that it is actually the Noise-Cancelling feature of the phone that is not tuned correctly or outright defective on some devices. The secondary mic is located on top of the back camera. If you try to cover it completely with tape or something rigid, the voice quality improves somewhat.
Since the default phone application is the only one that seems to utilize the noise cancelling feature, it also seems to be the only one that suffers from horrendous outgoing voice quality. All my other apps that use a mic, like Viber, Voice recorder and VoIP apps, do not have this problem.
There is no way to disable this feature, on some phones it's a simple toggle but not on the Razr M with JB. I know of other mods where it can be disabled in the Phone.apk by disassembling it and removing the lines of code that way, but I have no knowledge of doing that. If someone is able to shed some light on this process, please help us out.
Problem with noise suppression, nothing else. Try to remove second mic from the board.

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