[Q] Should I unroot to get a blown speaker replaced? - EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a blown rear speaker in my Evo. I am going to be getting it replaced next weekend when my local Sprint store gets some in. I have my phone rooted via Unrevoked and i also have S-off. With the new updates (3.29, Radios, PRIs, Desire rom, MIUI) I have been a little worried about flashing anything new before I take my phone in for repair, because I have heard that either the newest radio or NV will not allow for the S-on tool to work. So what would you recommend? Should I leave my phone rooted and flash away and just install a stock (rooted) rom and uninstall SU before taking my phone in, or should I run a RUU to unroot and leave S-off, or should I go for the whole nine and turn S-on and then run RUU and start over after the speaker is replaced? Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Are you getting just the speaker replaced or the whole phone? I had to get my screen replaced last week and I was fully rooted running CM6 AOSP. They didnt even ask any questions about it. Replaced screen free of charge along with the bezel around the volume and power buttons which were cracked. Im not telling you what you should do just sharing my experience.

rdub4nd said:
Are you getting just the speaker replaced or the whole phone? I had to get my screen replaced last week and I was fully rooted running CM6 AOSP. They didnt even ask any questions about it. Replaced screen free of charge along with the bezel around the volume and power buttons which were cracked. Im not telling you what you should do just sharing my experience.
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I am just getting the speaker replaced. I would rather keep my phone then get a refurb and have to possibly deal with new issues. I am thinking that I can just flash a stock rom but leave S-off just to make things easier. Thanks for sharing this. I have read somewhere that Sprint will do repairs for free even if you are still rooted, but it is possible for them to flag your account that you have a rooted phone and can possibly cause you issues. I hope that this doesn't happen to you.

I've got the blown speaker problem too. But it is a rattling problem. I can still hear people fine. I had decided to live with it because I didnt want to risk getting a refurb phone. Do all the sprint stores actually replace the speaker? Also, is the replacement a better quality one? Or would I wind up with another blown one within a couple weeks?

edufur said:
I've got the blown speaker problem too. But it is a rattling problem. I can still hear people fine. I had decided to live with it because I didnt want to risk getting a refurb phone. Do all the sprint stores actually replace the speaker? Also, is the replacement a better quality one? Or would I wind up with another blown one within a couple weeks?
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Click to collapse
Yes mine just sound really rattly and poppy, thats how they do when they are blown. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they all do that when they blow. Not all Sprint stores will replace the speaker, just go to sprint.com, click find a store, enter your location, check to see if any of the stores in your area have "repair store" checked, if they do call that store and ask them if they have any speakers in stock. If they do you will likely have to get them to order one and wait about a week and a half for them to receive it, when they get it in go by the store and they will replace it for you in just a few minutes. As of now there is no aftermarket speakers, so you are stuck with HTC's low quality speaker for now. So it is possible for it to blow again soon, just try your hardest not to turn your volume all the way up as much as possible. Also try to keep metal shavings away from the phone. My phone and a co-worker of mine's Incredible blew within 2 days of each other, I think it is because of the metal shavings from drilling while at work. I would say it is a design flaw on HTC's part to have the speakers exposed enough to where the magnet draws metal shaving in.

4 months.... 4 blown speakers... Thankfully the Sprint store in my area seems to keep them in stock... the first phone got swapped for a new one per 30 day return policy... the next two speakers were replaced in store (after the 1 hour mandatory waiting period for a 5 mintue fix)... and the speaker blew again today.
Yes I use speaker phone a lot
Yes I listen to Pandora/Slacker radio
Yes I have custom ringtones/notification sounds
Yes I watch Youtube and Sprint TV
and Yes I have it at 100% volume.... the hardware should exceed the capabilities of anything the end-user could put it through...
I am just so darned frustrated with the whole process at this point that I ordered and paid for replacement speakers...
so the next question would be.... is there a replacement speaker that can handle the intended use of this phone?

If you are concerned about having a rooted phone repaired, you could just fix it yourself. Replacing the speaker is incredibly easy. Just buy a housing assembly at an online store or eBay. Should come with a speaker. Pop it off and swap it with the one in your evo. The entire job, including opening and closing your phone, should not take more than 5 or 10 minutes.

Related

[Q] Evo 4 days old, screen having physical issues already.. Help

I just bought my phone 4 days ago, and I'm having issues with the screen responsiveness. It just freezes up at times, sometimes it thinks one finger is touching it and does the whole zoom in/out thing when I touch it, randomly issues commands, touch buttons at the bottom don't respond, and only way it works for a lil again is to touch the power button to turn the screen off and back on. I have a link attached which shows the main problem area is when a lil pressure is put near the bottom, everything starts getting glitchy. It does this with all 3 ROMs I've used, which is another thing, I have to un root it so I can bring it to the sprint store. Since it's a brand new phone, and only 4 days old so far, do you think they will just replace it with another new model, or a refurb? I'd be extremely mad if it's a refurb since it's still in the 30 days. They also added TEP to my plan which I havent taken off yet. But since this is a hardware issue..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7-sNFfQhMY
The video doesn't even begin to show all the problems, but that's one I can replicate pretty well by holding it at the bottom.
Sometimes you get a bad phone HTC isn't perfect since you are within 30 sprint will switch it for a new one no charge.
Just go get a replacement
like others have said get a replacement simple and easy
CheesyNutz said:
like others have said get a replacement simple and easy
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Click to collapse
Eh, I'm on my third replacement, and gettng the last wasn't exactly "simple and easy ". Oh, and guess what needs to get replaced again due to another faulty display (interestingly this is the first phone I'm returning for the display... unless you count screen separation)?
Order a replacement, and when you get it, don't walk out of the store until you're sure the phone is working as it should.
Make sure they are not going to place an upgrade 20.00 fee on your bill.I had a bad screen as far as lifting up out of the frame from the bottom and light leaking out.When I went online a few days later to view my bill there was a upgrade fee and I had to call them but it was painless just had to give up about 5 minutes to get it done.
Just FYI
I'm really hoping when I go in tomorrow, they can return my phone and get a NEW one on the spot. I dont want them telling me they have to order it, etc, because I know they have a lot in stock. Do I just tell them I want a replacement because my screen is messing up when touching the rim of the screen? I really hope I dont get hassled. The phone is back to stock, S-ON, fully unrooted.
This video shows the issue even more. It's so bad today, I can barely use the phone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW5f1nHUmwY
I got my replacement today, brand new, hardware 0004. My first one was 0003. I am slightly disappointed because I can tell I have the "bad" screen version. It has a much more yellow tint to it than my first one. My rebate is also going to be declined now unfortunately, and it's going to be a hassle I can already tell.
Edit: I thought I have the worse screen, but it looks a lot better than the youtube comparison video I have seen. It also fades the different brightness settings rather than a solid quick change using power control. It still is a tad more yellow I think. I hope I can root this one just as easy as my last one.

Speakerphone issue?

Okay so to start I have a hardware 3 version white HTC evo and it has been recently rooted and is now running sprintlovers ROM.
I don't know if this happened before or after my phone being rooted but now the rear speaker works but frankly doesn't sound so good. I remember some time ago listening to pandora and there being no problem, now listening to music with any sort of depth to it above half volume I hear a distinct hissing/cracking noise that is really kind of annoying. I think this may have been caused by me running GPS while using speakerphone both on loud accidentally. I'm very competent in cellphone/laptop repair and I've looked up how to replace the speaker and where to get the replacement.
Do you guys think that a replacement speaker will fix the problem? I do not have a warranty of any kind.
Phone sounds NORMAL with headphones and in call through the earpiece.
Thanks in advance. - Brandon
Action B said:
Okay so to start I have a hardware 3 version white HTC evo and it has been recently rooted and is now running sprintlovers ROM.
I don't know if this happened before or after my phone being rooted but now the rear speaker works but frankly doesn't sound so good. I remember some time ago listening to pandora and there being no problem, now listening to music with any sort of depth to it above half volume I hear a distinct hissing/cracking noise that is really kind of annoying. I think this may have been caused by me running GPS while using speakerphone both on loud accidentally. I'm very competent in cellphone/laptop repair and I've looked up how to replace the speaker and where to get the replacement.
Do you guys think that a replacement speaker will fix the problem? I do not have a warranty of any kind.
Phone sounds NORMAL with headphones and in call through the earpiece.
Thanks in advance. - Brandon
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Click to collapse
yup sounds like your speaker has taken a $h!t. If you've done cell phone repairs before then it should be a no brainer replacing. Ebay probably sells them cheap. Best bet if you dont have TEP. Might want to contact HTC first to see if they will replace it. Wouldnt hurt.
blakeboys said:
yup sounds like your speaker has taken a $h!t. If you've done cell phone repairs before then it should be a no brainer replacing. Ebay probably sells them cheap. Best bet if you dont have TEP. Might want to contact HTC first to see if they will replace it. Wouldnt hurt.
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Hey thanks for getting back to me quickly.
Okay, what is a "TEP" I'm guessing its some acronym for warranty. When you say contact HTC do you mean to send in for repair, or to have them possibly send me a speaker? Sending in for a repair for something so easy is a pain. Its not worth the 10 bucks or 30 minutes to mail the phone, be without a phone and wait for it.
Action B said:
Hey thanks for getting back to me quickly.
Okay, what is a "TEP" I'm guessing its some acronym for warranty. When you say contact HTC do you mean to send in for repair, or to have them possibly send me a speaker? Sending in for a repair for something so easy is a pain. Its not worth the 10 bucks or 30 minutes to mail the phone, be without a phone and wait for it.
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Yes TEP=Total Equipment Protection , it cost $7/month from sprint. Well HTC probably wont send you a speaker since if you open your phone you technical "void" your warranty but yeah the repair is a cake walk. If you have techy know how and no warranty plan than I'd repair it myself. Shouldn't be difficult at all.
HERE is a complete guide on how to do it. SO SIMPLE!!!
blakeboys said:
Yes TEP=Total Equipment Protection , it cost $7/month from sprint. Well HTC probably wont send you a speaker since if you open your phone you technical "void" your warranty but yeah the repair is a cake walk. If you have techy know how and no warranty plan than I'd repair it myself. Shouldn't be difficult at all.
HERE is a complete guide on how to do it. SO SIMPLE!!!
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Click to collapse
Perfect. I've never really had an extended warranty with anything. I usually don't have any serious issues and I'm great at repairing stuff (probably because I never have a warranty). I actually do circuit board repair as a second job in my spare time. Usually on RC cars but I do the occasional computer.
I will respond back with the results of the new speaker transplant.
The replacement speaker from ebay made my phone sound great again. Took about 15 minutes to change but a little tip for anyone that purchases a replacement:
You may need to take the foam off of the old speaker and transplant it onto the new one. The foam on the new one was too thin and at first didn't make good contact with the board. Pry off the plastic clear piece with the foam from each and swap to do this.
Also, the tutorial above, the guy is holding the prying tool in what I consider the wrong way. At least it seemed a lot more effortless after turning it around for me.

Ear Piece Distortion/Vibration

Hey guys...
So I noticed since day one of getting my kick ass phone that if I had the volume say 75% or higher on the ear piece that I would get what sounded like distortion. I chocked this up to the speaker not being able to handle the volume, and quite frankly neither could I - at least for the people who like to yell into their phone... Anyway, I found today that it seemed to be more pronounced, even at what I would call moderate volume. After messing around a bit - I am fairly convinced that the speaker in the phone is loose! If I tap on the back of the phone right on the camera, I can hear whats sounds and faintly feels like a vibration. So naturally if the speaker is loose and some point it would start to vibrate, which in a sense could sound like distortion.
So... with that said - anyone else notice this with theirs? Normal? I'm thinking not but thought I would ask. If in fact it needs repair, how has one gone about getting theirs fixed? I know it is under warranty since it is maybe 30 days old bought from the Play Store. Will they send a new unit or does it go in for service and I have to find some clunker to use in the mean time?
Thanks - you guys are a great bunch to be a part of
... and gals
Update--
In case this helps someone in the future...
I was 2 days past Google's 14 day return policy
So after 18 days! The problem they found was that my phone would not take a charge? WHAT?
So the status said that they were sending me a replacement. I was concerned that they might send someone's refurbished phone and being that mine was only 16 days old - I would hope that it would be new. So... I called CS and asked if the phone they were send was a refurb or new and he assured me that is was new. I hope.
So, one last question...
Anyone that has gotten a replacement phone lets say within 30days of buying it new... was it a new phone or did they in fact send a refurb?

[Q] [ion] repair

has anyone taken apart their ion to fix the mic problem? i've found like 2 threads where they took apart the phone but no real guide of how to do so. like one thread shows how to take off the back plate and the other thread shows what to look for to fix the mic problem. the pictures helped alot for me to take off the back plate but being told to just keep tearing down to get to the mic is a really vague description.
please help. im tired of always scrambling to find my headset to talk or using speaker phone that barely picks up my voice when yelling at the bottom mic.
marine417 said:
has anyone taken apart their ion to fix the mic problem? i've found like 2 threads where they took apart the phone but no real guide of how to do so. like one thread shows how to take off the back plate and the other thread shows what to look for to fix the mic problem. the pictures helped alot for me to take off the back plate but being told to just keep tearing down to get to the mic is a really vague description.
please help. im tired of always scrambling to find my headset to talk or using speaker phone that barely picks up my voice when yelling at the bottom mic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you remember what did you do before the mic is broken?
You can reference one of my experience:
My mic was broken because of the AC!D Sound Mod not compatible with other mods. Try to reflash the original firmware or do a restore via cwm.
NoobTW said:
Do you remember what did you do before the mic is broken?
You can reference one of my experience:
My mic was broken because of the AC!D Sound Mod not compatible with other mods. Try to reflash the original firmware or do a restore via cwm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i didn't notice it until i stopped using my headset. thinking back on it, i do remember my phone being hotter than usual because i've been playing music all the time since i got the smart wired headset. then my wife called me and she couldn't hear me, my wife's iphone 4 has the tendency of not picking up the other caller but fixed by recalling. she recalled twice and she barely could hear me but by this time i was literally yelling in the car at the phone using the speakerphone.
i got home and put on the headset and she could hear me perfectly. i thought that was weird and next day was had a demonstration in class which i recorded but when i played it back, the volume was so slow that i had to turn up the volume level to max just to barely hear it. so i ran into the service menu, *#*#7378423#*#*, and tested the microphones. the primary mic received and played back at like 10% volume while the secondary mic received and played back at 100% volume.
my phone is completely stock. i haven't come across a need to root unlike other android phones i've had.
There is a thread, somewhere buried in the forum merge, that showed someone fixing the gasket around the mic assembly. Apparently it can slip off and cover the sound hole. I'd search for this. I do remember it required breaking down the phone a little bit to get to the mic.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=32843854
Also please post questions in the question section
Sent from my LT28at using xda app-developers app
Contact Sony and send in for repair. Pretend you don't know anything and don't know what happen I screw up mine and sent it in for repair. Sony was very easy to deal with...(I bought mine on Craigslist not from Sony or AT&T)
*grumble*
Why do you want to take it apart when it's still under warranty? Just send it in to Sony. I know it can be an inconvenience but it's not worth the risk of ripping a ribbon cable and making your phone useless. You should only disassemble the phone if it's not under warranty...
Here is a video of the dis-assembly if you need it. Proceed at your own risk.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFR6vhUEZyc
johnbyebye said:
*grumble*
Why do you want to take it apart when it's still under warranty? Just send it in to Sony. I know it can be an inconvenience but it's not worth the risk of ripping a ribbon cable and making your phone useless. You should only disassemble the phone if it's not under warranty...
Here is a video of the dis-assembly if you need it. Proceed at your own risk.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFR6vhUEZyc
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Click to collapse
yeah its still under warranty but i don't have a back up phone. so if i send it in, i won't have a phone for a minimum of 3 weeks. i almost died the with my first ion when the battery took a dump and did the wait to drain then charge for 2 days and troubleshoot both online and in store for another 3 days. they said i would have to send it in for repairs but i was lucky because i was still within the in store return/exchange policy so they just gave me a new phone. this one lasted probably 2 months before this microphone issue came up and none of my local cell phone repair stores service the ion and they charge like $60 just to find out what is wrong with it without a guarantee they can fix the problem because they don't have the parts for a repair.
so its either, go to a local store and pay $60 for something they can't fix or pay shipping to send it in to sony for repair which could take up to a month without a phone or pay nothing and did it myself when all i have to do is probably remove that gasket covering the microphone hole and can be done within an hour. which one would you pick?
marine417 said:
yeah its still under warranty but i don't have a back up phone. so if i send it in, i won't have a phone for a minimum of 3 weeks. i almost died the with my first ion when the battery took a dump and did the wait to drain then charge for 2 days and troubleshoot both online and in store for another 3 days. they said i would have to send it in for repairs but i was lucky because i was still within the in store return/exchange policy so they just gave me a new phone. this one lasted probably 2 months before this microphone issue came up and none of my local cell phone repair stores service the ion and they charge like $60 just to find out what is wrong with it without a guarantee they can fix the problem because they don't have the parts for a repair.
so its either, go to a local store and pay $60 for something they can't fix or pay shipping to send it in to sony for repair which could take up to a month without a phone or pay nothing and did it myself when all i have to do is probably remove that gasket covering the microphone hole and can be done within an hour. which one would you pick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as you understand the risk, then by all means, take it apart. I have a "dumb" phone that I use for situations like this so my answer would be sending it in to Sony.
johnbyebye said:
As long as you understand the risk, then by all means, take it apart. I have a "dumb" phone that I use for situations like this so my answer would be sending it in to Sony.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup did it. if i was in your position i would send it in as well but that is not my case. this "procedure" didn't involve any unplugging of connectors or moving ribbons, just needed to remove the back plate and i guess the inner support bracket? that is on top of the mainboard and the battery. taking off that bracket exposes the mic array and the mic hole/port is actually on the bottom of that bracket.
took apart the phone once and found that gasket cover like 3/4 of the hole to the mic array (looks like a stack of metal plates at the bottom). removed it fully and put everything back and it worked but it gave off a little echo then remembered that the mic array had like adhesive marks on it the size of the gasket. so i took it apart again and used some of my double sided adhesive that i use for digitizer repair/replace and a precision knife to cut it to form the gasket and put it back into place and now it sounds perfect.
i guess that gasket is used to keep the mic array from moving too much and causing interference. anyways, fixed it in like 45 mins.
thank you for all your help.
marine417 said:
yup did it. if i was in your position i would send it in as well but that is not my case. this "procedure" didn't involve any unplugging of connectors or moving ribbons, just needed to remove the back plate and i guess the inner support bracket? that is on top of the mainboard and the battery. taking off that bracket exposes the mic array and the mic hole/port is actually on the bottom of that bracket.
took apart the phone once and found that gasket cover like 3/4 of the hole to the mic array (looks like a stack of metal plates at the bottom). removed it fully and put everything back and it worked but it gave off a little echo then remembered that the mic array had like adhesive marks on it the size of the gasket. so i took it apart again and used some of my double sided adhesive that i use for digitizer repair/replace and a precision knife to cut it to form the gasket and put it back into place and now it sounds perfect.
i guess that gasket is used to keep the mic array from moving too much and causing interference. anyways, fixed it in like 45 mins.
thank you for all your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good job. Glad you fixed it.

Anyone who has sent their phone out for warranty work: what was the turn around time?

Looking for feedback from people that have had to mail out their Razer phone for warranty work. How long did it take to get it back?
I'm thinking about mailing mine off vs trying to fix it myself.
The issue I'm having is my speakers are crackling, even post "audio update" that reduced volume by around 30%. I can't get above 3\4 volume without having the speakers start crackling. What's strange is the crackle seems to be worse when orienting the phone to the side vs upright.
Both of them are doing it. Not sure if they are just dirty or they are blown, but when I first got my phone I would play most things at full volume often. I thought about pulling the speaker grills off since I read that sometimes the adheasive loosens and things vibrate but I wasn't sure how I was going to re stick them back down. Can't find replacement grills anywhere. Or replacement speakers for that matter. So I was going to send it in.
Sent from my Phone using Tapatalk
11 days round trip to Germany from UK ended up with factory replacement
The first time i sent my phone there it took 4 days to come back but the second time it took around 10 days. I asked why and they said "limited supplies" now i had sent 2 phones and both had speaker problems. The first was a heavily cracking bottom speaker after 3 weeks of use. The second one was both speakers weakening but not cracking and the third one has the same problem which is weird given that they advertized the speakers as good. Hopefully they fix this because i wanna buy razer phone 2

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