Database Users

[Rant] External Speaker Blown/Sounds Like Garbage

So my external speaker stopped working properly after my alarm went off yesterday. Now it sounds like I'm talking to tech support in India using a Barbie walkie-talkie as a speakerphone. I think it's blown. Being the industrious engineer type, I took the whole phone apart to try to see if something rattled loose. No luck, but I did have fun going to a meeting at working with a pile of disassembled components for a cellphone. I think my external speaker is probably blown. It should be noted that I was using the ViperRom volume hack at the time (I've since removed it from Nebula Rom just in case that was the issue). I really doubt it is the root cause of the issue because it wasn't at full volume, and I rarely use the speaker for any prolonged duration other than alarms, notifications, ringtones. This is just a cautionary tale, a boombox is not a toy. Samsung said 6 business days for a turnaround on the RMA. Ugh. I might have to pay the bastards at Sprint for their $35 "convenience" charge. They conveniently bend me over on a legitimate warranty claim, or I don't have a phone for my business for over a week. I'll tell you what, I have never had a problem with the speaker on my iPod/iPad not working after 3+ months. Thank you Mr. Steve Jobs. You must be a genius for creating these magical products solely by yourself, crafted skillfully out of love and rainbows. Without this (and sacrificing unicorns), I can understand why the competition has such a hard time creating a device who's external speaker can withstand normal use for 3 months.
Long story short, my phone has DI18 stock on it right now. Wow does that make me sad. What's worse is that I couldn't find the 13th windows 95 floppy so I could install ODIN.

this happened 2 me once
and all samsung could say was to get me the repair going on but i had the full protection from s;rint so i just got a new phone at a cost of a hundred bucks of course

plapczyn said:
So my external speaker stopped working properly after my alarm went off yesterday. Now it sounds like I'm talking to tech support in India using a Barbie walkie-talkie as a speakerphone. I think it's blown. Being the industrious engineer type, I took the whole phone apart to try to see if something rattled loose. No luck, but I did have fun going to a meeting at working with a pile of disassembled components for a cellphone. I think my external speaker is probably blown. It should be noted that I was using the ViperRom volume hack at the time (I've since removed it from Nebula Rom just in case that was the issue). I really doubt it is the root cause of the issue because it wasn't at full volume, and I rarely use the speaker for any prolonged duration other than alarms, notifications, ringtones. This is just a cautionary tale, a boombox is not a toy. Samsung said 6 business days for a turnaround on the RMA. Ugh. I might have to pay the bastards at Sprint for their $35 "convenience" charge. They conveniently bend me over on a legitimate warranty claim, or I don't have a phone for my business for over a week. I'll tell you what, I have never had a problem with the speaker on my iPod/iPad not working after 3+ months. Thank you Mr. Steve Jobs. You must be a genius for creating these magical products solely by yourself, crafted skillfully out of love and rainbows. Without this (and sacrificing unicorns), I can understand why the competition has such a hard time creating a device who's external speaker can withstand normal use for 3 months.
Long story short, my phone has DI18 stock on it right now. Wow does that make me sad. What's worse is that I couldn't find the 13th windows 95 floppy so I could install ODIN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont think anyone can make external speakers like apple
i have a mac and an ipod and the sound amazing
hope your epic gets fixed soon

You probably can just replace the speaker yourself
If you have the time and patience you can just order the original OEM part from ebay. Just search for "New OEM Samsung Epic Speaker Replacement" and they're like $13
Hope this helps.

It'd be nice if there was a speaker upgrade.
I had a blackberry 9000 (bold) before this phone. Had it for two years. The external speaker on it was amazing. Blew Iphones away. It actually had legitimate bass response. If RIM can do it, seems like Samsung should be able to too.
But then have you seen samsung's new led tvs? Awful picture!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Same thing happened to me. I wasn't using any volume hacks or anything like that... it just blew when my alarm went off.
Took it to the nearest sprint store and they didn't have the part so they called the only nearby sprint store that, according to their online inventory, did have it. On the phone, they confirmed that they had it so I drove another 30 minutes to get there. Finally, they take my phone, disassemble it, and realize that they don't actually have the part. They had a samsung moment speaker.
I took my phone and had to come back a week later when the part finally came in...
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Happened to mine too. Sprint store fixed it. That was before the TAP policy change.
Looks like the DIY replacement is the cheapest way to go.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

After a phone lockup and rare battery pull this morning I thought this had happened too. The "beep" when turning volume to full was distorted and super loud, while ringtones were faint and almost inaudible. After a few minutes it stopped once I played a youtube video, but I'm puzzled and wondering if this will happen to me as well...

What is it with all these blown speakers? Are the speakers they use that much ****ty?
Sent from my Evo Killer!!!

Mine did this the other day. When i was charging the phone while plugged into my computer and I got a phone call, after the phone call was over everything sounded really bad. All my system sounds were distorted and loud. Even the shutdown sounds were crazy. After a reboot though it sounded normal. I've recreated it when im plugged into my computer, but on the regular samsung charger it doesn't do it. Weird...

My phone did this last week. I haven't taken it in yet. Sounds like somebody needs to get a class action going.

Happened to me a while ago, made a topic about it: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=885296
Not sure if it's the exact same problem, all of my media-type sounds were just making static noise, and I had to get the phone replaced.
I didn't have insurance, so it cost me $35, not a big deal. Except that the replacement phone had issues with the capacitive buttons not being very responsive, and they wanted to charge me ANOTHER $35 to get that fixed, when I brought it back in the next day, wtf! Luckily, they waived it just that one time, and I haven't had any issues since. (crosses fingers)

plapczyn said:
So my external speaker stopped working properly after my alarm went off yesterday. Now it sounds like I'm talking to tech support in India using a Barbie walkie-talkie as a speakerphone. I think it's blown. Being the industrious engineer type, I took the whole phone apart to try to see if something rattled loose. No luck, but I did have fun going to a meeting at working with a pile of disassembled components for a cellphone. I think my external speaker is probably blown. It should be noted that I was using the ViperRom volume hack at the time (I've since removed it from Nebula Rom just in case that was the issue). I really doubt it is the root cause of the issue because it wasn't at full volume, and I rarely use the speaker for any prolonged duration other than alarms, notifications, ringtones. This is just a cautionary tale, a boombox is not a toy. Samsung said 6 business days for a turnaround on the RMA. Ugh. I might have to pay the bastards at Sprint for their $35 "convenience" charge. They conveniently bend me over on a legitimate warranty claim, or I don't have a phone for my business for over a week. I'll tell you what, I have never had a problem with the speaker on my iPod/iPad not working after 3+ months. Thank you Mr. Steve Jobs. You must be a genius for creating these magical products solely by yourself, crafted skillfully out of love and rainbows. Without this (and sacrificing unicorns), I can understand why the competition has such a hard time creating a device who's external speaker can withstand normal use for 3 months.
Long story short, my phone has DI18 stock on it right now. Wow does that make me sad. What's worse is that I couldn't find the 13th windows 95 floppy so I could install ODIN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Isn't it common for manufacturer warranties to be honored by the manufacturer and not the reseller?
2. Doesn't Samsung make 8 million different phone models a year while Stevie and the Rainbows make 1?
3. Are you serious about the 13th floppy?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Firmware?
Is this happening with stock D18 firmware, modded or stock Froyo?
So far it hasn't happened to me with the stock D18 firmware so I am curious.

Mushmaster said:
1. Isn't it common for manufacturer warranties to be honored by the manufacturer and not the reseller?
2. Doesn't Samsung make 8 million different phone models a year while Stevie and the Rainbows make 1?
3. Are you serious about the 13th floppy?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Yup. It is. But since phones are tied to a service they traditionally were covered by the service provider. This was the case with Sprint until recent changes.
2) True, but a speaker, really? I've NEVER had a phone speaker stop working on ANY phone that I have ever had. Perhaps I was just lucky. But I pretty much only use the thing for ringtones and alarms. I barely ever even use speakerphone.
3) Na. That was a joke. I have Vista...but using it is comparable to my 13th disk analogy.
I took one of the posters suggestions and bought a replacement oem speaker. For the record, Samsung was very considerate about the problem and issued an RMA right away. I just don't want to deal with not having a phone for over a week.

plapczyn said:
1) Yup. It is. But since phones are tied to a service they traditionally were covered by the service provider. This was the case with Sprint until recent changes.
2) True, but a speaker, really? I've NEVER had a phone speaker stop working on ANY phone that I have ever had. Perhaps I was just lucky. But I pretty much only use the thing for ringtones and alarms. I barely ever even use speakerphone.
3) Na. That was a joke. I have Vista...but using it is comparable to my 13th disk analogy.
I took one of the posters suggestions and bought a replacement oem speaker. For the record, Samsung was very considerate about the problem and issued an RMA right away. I just don't want to deal with not having a phone for over a week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mind sharing where you bought your external speaker and how you went about replacing it?

ya ive been had the crackling noise in my speaker for a while now. its serioulsy horrible. gonna take it to a sprint store for the free repair since i have insurance but im wondering if i can use an external speaker from a different device for better quality. givin id have to afro engineer it, still think its worth the time as opposed to replacing the crappy speaker every 3-6 months cuz it blows from regular usage. ive had quite a few people come to my work with the epic complaining about the same thing that have been on stock since day 1 so it obviously a hardware issue in its own.

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)?

(Verizon) Replacement

About three weeks after I got my G2 back in November, I noticed a few dead pixel spots on my screen. Small spots, so I decided to live with them and not get a replacement.
But recently, I've been getting less than solid headphone connects, i.e. it'll plug in but the recognition will disconnect a few times is the headphone cables are moved or twisted: a weakening headphone jack.
I'm inclined to take up LG's manufacturer warranty, and I'm wondering if you guys think it will be covered as a manufacturer defect. I can say that the screen issues came that way, but the headphone jack issue probably isn't convincing enough to be a manufacturer defect.
Any thoughts? I need to unroot before I go to the Verizon store anyway...

wm388 said:
About three weeks after I got my G2 back in November, I noticed a few dead pixel spots on my screen. Small spots, so I decided to live with them and not get a replacement.
But recently, I've been getting less than solid headphone connects, i.e. it'll plug in but the recognition will disconnect a few times is the headphone cables are moved or twisted: a weakening headphone jack.
I'm inclined to take up LG's manufacturer warranty, and I'm wondering if you guys think it will be covered as a manufacturer defect. I can say that the screen issues came that way, but the headphone jack issue probably isn't convincing enough to be a manufacturer defect.
Any thoughts? I need to unroot before I go to the Verizon store anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you should unroot it. Depending on the store you go to, they might not even be able to power it on (dumb as hell) but its better to be safe then sorry
Sent from my VS980 4G

wm388 said:
About three weeks after I got my G2 back in November, I noticed a few dead pixel spots on my screen. Small spots, so I decided to live with them and not get a replacement.
But recently, I've been getting less than solid headphone connects, i.e. it'll plug in but the recognition will disconnect a few times is the headphone cables are moved or twisted: a weakening headphone jack.
I'm inclined to take up LG's manufacturer warranty, and I'm wondering if you guys think it will be covered as a manufacturer defect. I can say that the screen issues came that way, but the headphone jack issue probably isn't convincing enough to be a manufacturer defect.
Any thoughts? I need to unroot before I go to the Verizon store anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both things should be covered. Doesn't hurt to try either

Im having the same headphone jack problem too. It seems to be pretty common issue. Im gonna try Verizon tommorrow. Ill let ya know how it goes.

One Speaker on my 6P was louder than the other.

I received my 6P yesterday, and by this morning I dropped it into a UPS box to send it back.
So, I got the 64GB aluminum version, it arrived a day after I placed my order. I set it up and let it install its OS update, which took forever, then I started to use it. Right away I noticed that the top speaker seemed louder than the bottom speaker when the phone was playing notification sounds. In two phone calls, people complained that it sounded like I was underwater or had them on speakerphone.
I was a little concerned by the speaker issue, so I took the time to play back audio from NPR and then tried a few videos. While playing back video, I flipped the phone this way and that, and moved the phone back and forth from ear to ear just to make sure I wasn't deaf in one ear. The top speaker was definitely much louder than the other. With the mic being housed with the bottom speaker, I'm lead to believe both issues are related.
I contacted customer support and the lady who took my call said that another user had called with the same issue, but she couldn't recall which model they had. She had spoken with the design team about this and they said it was a defect, that both speakers should be firing at the same volume level.
We did the mandatory factory reset and I fired up YouTube - then I moved my old phone back and forth over the speakers of the 6P and she could hear the difference too, so I ended up mailing it back for a refund - I plan to buy another, but an exchange would entail a $549 hold on my bank account, so a refund it is.
So, that said, I'm curious - has anyone else had this issue? I searched the web but didn't find anything, but I've tweeted to some people who were opening new devices and one of them said he felt the top speaker was louder on his unit too (I didn't say which speaker, I just asked if one was louder than the other), while another person said she'd follow up.

It seems like it's a relatively common issue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/help/check-speakers-t3237050
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/help/uneven-speaker-volume-t3238144
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3r6faw/nexus_6p_speaker_issue_strawpoll_please_answer_if/

Roxy said:
It seems like it's a relatively common issue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/help/check-speakers-t3237050
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/help/uneven-speaker-volume-t3238144
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3r6faw/nexus_6p_speaker_issue_strawpoll_please_answer_if/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:crying::crying::crying:
Oh dear... I wouldn't have minded it if it was just a tad louder, but it was bad - plus I was having some speaker overdrive issues as well. I guess I'll wait for Google to process my refund and keep an eye on these threads before deciding if I want to take the risk again... Which sucks, because I was loving the phone. Hell, I picked this over a Lumia 950 XL because I wanted to use some half decent apps and have access to Tap to Pay. Sure, Android still waits forever for iOS apps, but Windows waits for never. -_-

I kept my phone regardless of the volume issue... lol.
Here's more reddit post(s) regarding the problem:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rjbbd/did_anyone_figure_out_if_the_top_speaker_being/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3r45jr/speakers_not_balanced/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3qrjp2/top_speaker_louder_than_bottom_one/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3qso4k/is_anybody_not_having_speaker_balance_issues/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rak95/did_rma_fixed_uneven_speaker_issue/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rajy4/can_someone_post_a_video_of_the_speakers_balanced/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3quee4/front_facing_speakers/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rdslq/google_store_support_says_that_the_volume/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rekuc/speaker_difference_an_intended_feature/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rcumg/speaker_imbalance_based_on_volume_level/

Roxy said:
I kept my phone regardless of the volume issue... lol.
Here's more reddit post(s) regarding the problem:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rjbbd/did_anyone_figure_out_if_the_top_speaker_being/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3r45jr/speakers_not_balanced/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3qrjp2/top_speaker_louder_than_bottom_one/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3qso4k/is_anybody_not_having_speaker_balance_issues/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rak95/did_rma_fixed_uneven_speaker_issue/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rajy4/can_someone_post_a_video_of_the_speakers_balanced/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3quee4/front_facing_speakers/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rdslq/google_store_support_says_that_the_volume/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rekuc/speaker_difference_an_intended_feature/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3rcumg/speaker_imbalance_based_on_volume_level/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've blogged about this and have included all these links - thanks for the info! I really hope when I buy another one that it don't have the speaker issue. Google needs to step out and address Speakergate so users are aware of this issue.
https://tekmuze.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/forget-bending-the-nexus-6p-may-have-speaker-defect/

I see on Reddit that some people are hearing the exact opposite of what I was told by Google support - Google support is telling them that this actually "feature" and not a flaw, which brings to mind old comics about Windows 95 and 98 bugs being labeled as features... -_-

If it's a "fault" on all phones then surely it's an easy software fix. I'm surprised none of the reviews mentioned it?

Batfink33 said:
If it's a "fault" on all phones then surely it's an easy software fix. I'm surprised none of the reviews mentioned it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am amazed... But keep in mind that review units are hand picked and sent out by Google, so it's likely that phones without this flaw were sent to the press.

Top/Left speaker extremely quiet

I've recently noticed that my left/top speaker is incredibly more quiet than the bottom/right one. It's almost as if it's stuck in "phone call" mode.
I'm rooted, still on Marshmallow (last available version). I've tried rebooting in safe mode, nothing changed. I've tried disabling all Xposed modules, nothing changed.
The speaker is not dead. It simply plays extremely quiet when compared to the other one. Could it be broken or is there something still left to try via software?

I have the exact same issue. Unfortunetly restoring stock Google image didn't help either. I think it's the hardware

same, but mine is bottom/right speaker. it will come on intermittently, usually if i flip phone around a bit into landscape....
am on 7.0 stock/rooted...battery issue has become an annoyance to...ugh

I had this happen after a drop of oil (skin treament oil, not motor oil) must have landed on the grill. At least that is what I hypotheseized. Problem was, because it was an oil, it wouldn't dry any time soon. It was actually so quite, when I made my first call the next day, I thought my phone wasn't working, then I heard a very, very, very faint noise from it. Compressed air in a can helped clean some of it out, and it got better- tolerable. Over the next few months it's very slowly improved, but it's still a little muffled sounding compared to the right, but the volumes almost match now. The grill in that speakers still gathers more junk than the bottom one, and I have to keep it cleaned out regularly. So, any chance a contaminant of any kind got in there? Try canned air, or gently use a clothing pin to remove any dirt/debris.
I think it's a poor design, because my Moto X Pure never had any issues with speakers getting wet or dirty.
Edit, I'll add that the entire speaker was muffled, not just one part of it, the whole thing sounded like it was broken, and I thought it was a hardware issue at first. Until the canned air got a little tiny bit of liquid/oil out. It improved by 50% with the canned air, then over months it slowly evaporated.

Check for metal shavings in the grill as well. I work in a factory and get it all the time.

gorman42 said:
I've recently noticed that my left/top speaker is incredibly more quiet than the bottom/right one. It's almost as if it's stuck in "phone call" mode.
I'm rooted, still on Marshmallow (last available version). I've tried rebooting in safe mode, nothing changed. I've tried disabling all Xposed modules, nothing changed.
The speaker is not dead. It simply plays extremely quiet when compared to the other one. Could it be broken or is there something still left to try via software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello... Don't know if you're running stock kernel, but you could try to change the gain of the top speaker with a kernel manager app: Kernel Adiutor, EX Kernel Manager, etc... If your kernel supports it. Most custom kernels do.
Good luck...

5.1 said:
Hello... Don't know if you're running stock kernel, but you could try to change the gain of the top speaker with a kernel manager app: Kernel Adiutor, EX Kernel Manager, etc... If your kernel supports it. Most custom kernels do.
Good luck...
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Click to collapse
I could do this but I fear that to get acceptable results I would run the speakers entirely out of specifications limits.
If opening it was easier I would have checked for oil/water/anything inside.
It's supposedly still covered by its warranty but that would lead to an undefinable period of time with no phone... and that's unacceptable for me.

gorman42 said:
I could do this but I fear that to get acceptable results I would run the speakers entirely out of specifications limits.
If opening it was easier I would have checked for oil/water/anything inside.
It's supposedly still covered by its warranty but that would lead to an undefinable period of time with no phone... and that's unacceptable for me.
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Click to collapse
Hey. Sorry, I didn't think about the "out of specs thing". The warranty won't cover water damage anyway. Though a repair seems to be the only way to get it to work.
I fear myself the day I'll have to open mine...
Goos luck...

Success! Re-reading everything that was written here I tried remembering if something happened that could justify what I was experiencing. And I remembered a cocktail spilling on the phone. Back then I didn't give it much thought because the phone kept on working and I wiped away everything almost immediately. I tried blowing hard inside the speaker grill and blowing and blowing, I noticed some liquid coming out of the speaker, very little drops obviously. Then I "slapped" the phone against my thigh repeatedly.
Thanks to everybody chiming in and especially @HikingMoose that made me think about this.
And now volume appears normal from both sides of the speakers. Using GoneMad Music Player I can adjust speaker balance and both seem to be playing at equal volume.

I have the solution for that
I'm pretty sure I have the solution. That's not b cause I'm claiming smart lol but thats because exactly what has happened to my nexus 6p recently. I got this nexus 6p as a replacement so it was new. A month later the top speaker got extremely low. If you go to YouTube and type stereo speaker test. You would here the difference. I thoughts it's the Oreo update/hard reset/ google support but no luck.
Anyways I thought of taking of the speaker grill to see if any dirt is blocking it. Believe it or not: as soon as I took the top speaker off I noticed the speaker got back to work asbestos loud as the bottom one. So it's the grill mate.
JUST BE CAREFUL THOUGH, it's hard to put the speaker back in. You might not be able too unless you glue it or something. I could not find anywhere to buy a replacement. Just be careful

Hani84 said:
I'm pretty sure I have the solution. That's not b cause I'm claiming smart lol but thats because exactly what has happened to my nexus 6p recently. I got this nexus 6p as a replacement so it was new. A month later the top speaker got extremely low. If you go to YouTube and type stereo speaker test. You would here the difference. I thoughts it's the Oreo update/hard reset/ google support but no luck.
Anyways I thought of taking of the speaker grill to see if any dirt is blocking it. Believe it or not: as soon as I took the top speaker off I noticed the speaker got back to work asbestos loud as the bottom one. So it's the grill mate.
JUST BE CAREFUL THOUGH, it's hard to put the speaker back in. You might not be able too unless you glue it or something. I could not find anywhere to buy a replacement. Just be careful
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I'm having the same problem on the top/left speaker, sounds seem muffled after accidentally poured chili oil on it (lol). Anyway, how did you managed to take out the speaker grill?