Develop Bugs

Rate your HTC 10 speakers

Hey XDAers!
I'm considering buying the HTC 10 after my amazing experience with the One M7.
Just wondering how the built-in speakers on the 10 match up to other flagships and previous HTCs. I heard the M9's speakers were really loud and better than the M8's, which were in turn louder and better than the M7's. My current feelings on the 10, from reading reviews, is that they're great quality but not that loud, and not great for watching videos in landscape mode.
Whoever's had old Ones and/or recent flagships and can comment on the loudness and quality of the 10's built-in speakers, please share your thoughts! I'd love to be able to start playing good quality, loud music while cooking, showering, or at gatherings with friends.
Edit: Mods; maybe this should be in Guides, News, and Discussion instead?

While I do think the speakers sound good, they are not loud enough, they are around same level as my s7 edge but lower than my G5.

I has the M7, M8 and now the 10. I think they're just fine. Great sounding, loud enough. Is it the loudest? No. But will you get damn good quality from these speakers given the right media? You bet you will.

Agreed they're not loud, the quality is very good though
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

Awesome speakers and are clearer than my M8. HTC focused more on clarity it appears.
In terms of loudness? Someone had tools to test and made a video showing the 10 having slightly louder speakers.
I guess many think the opposite because of how big htc made their speakers look on their M series but if you were to open them, the speakers are actually less than half of the actual grill.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

Thanks for the responses guys!
richii0207 said:
In terms of loudness? Someone had tools to test and made a video showing the 10 having slightly louder speakers.
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Oh what, actually? Do you happen to have the video? Cause if this is true, that makes me very happy

I have to say I used my M9 everyday at work on lunch to watch TV shows. Yesterday was the first day using the 10 and it is just as loud and sounds so much better. The clearly is crazy with the 10. I am so happy with it.
Sent from my HTC 10

SponTen said:
Thanks for the responses guys!
Oh what, actually? Do you happen to have the video? Cause if this is true, that makes me very happy
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Here ya go.https://youtu.be/iIuIajsVuIk
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

richii0207 said:
Here ya go.https://youtu.be/iIuIajsVuIk
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk
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Quality is very good, but what is missing is the real stereo sound from M7-M9. M10 still sounds good, better than S7. Its just not the same than before, especially if your watching a video in landscape, where stereo really mattered.
But still, its miles better than G5 and S7, cause the sound is coming right at you, not from the bottom in the direction of your hand (like S7).

In the shower, I could clearly hear music from my 6P playing. With the 10, that is no longer the case - sounds like any past phone in terms of volume. It is definitely a little higher quality than any other phone I've had though, but not bounds and leagues ahead to make it a worthwhile sacrifice for volume. So if loudness is what you're after, you will be disappointed.

Thanks guys; it's incredibly useful having a wide variety of opinions.
Nitemare3219 said:
In the shower, I could clearly hear music from my 6P playing. With the 10, that is no longer the case - sounds like any past phone in terms of volume. It is definitely a little higher quality than any other phone I've had though, but not bounds and leagues ahead to make it a worthwhile sacrifice for volume. So if loudness is what you're after, you will be disappointed.
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This disappoints me. The 6P looks great but is too big for me and stock Android is not as customisable as I'd like; otherwise I probably would've already bought it.
Maybe there's a way to increase loudness without losing too much clarity/quality? I've heard V4A can increase volume by up to 50%.

The sound quality is good, but it is not louder that HTC M8, when you hear music you can hear in both speakers, same if you are choosing a ringtone, but when you hear the phone ringing IS VERY BAD, it sounds muffled and low because the ring only sound in the lower speaker
Does somebody try to root and place viper4Afor fix this?

I have the same issue when the phone is ringing. It just doesn't sound right.

I wrote to HTC customer online ( chat) they told me that it could be a bug, may should be included in the future updates. You can to write to chat or HTC technical support so they could see several people with the same thing and fix it a little bit more quick. If somebody can help us---- welcome

So my phone isn't faulty. I thought my phone has some kind of issue for what it sounds to tiny in landscape position. My last G4 with back speaker sounded so loud and definitely not bad than Htc 10. Somebody should find some way to louden the output.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

Speakerphone (loudness, clarity)

Proper etiquette aside (hint: don't use speakerphone while doing your "business" in a public bathroom), rate this thread to express how you think the Google Pixel's speakerphone performs. A higher rating indicates that you love it: it's loud and it's clear.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

Very average for me. Not as loud as I would have hoped.

Still waiting for mine to come in (should be in Tuesday). Will compare it to my S6 and see what happens.

Average at best. My friend and I were playing Battlefield 1 last night and talking on speaker phone, he also has the Pixel, at times we could not hear each other very well. I actually think the speaker on the 5X was better....

I would have to agree that the speaker is average at best when it comes to call quality. My Galaxy S6 was louder. Though audio playback for non-calls seems to be a fair amount better than my S6.

Anyone having issues turning their speaker all the way up and when watching video get like a popping sound?

falcon26 said:
Average at best. My friend and I were playing Battlefield 1 last night and talking on speaker phone, he also has the Pixel, at times we could not hear each other very well. I actually think the speaker on the 5X was better....
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It's not the loudest I've heard but boy, compared to the 5X the 5X is a joke (I have both phones).
Sound is louder, deeper and more clear. Comparing to the 5X it's in a completely different level...

Used to have hands free conversations while driving with the phone in a cradle... but with the Pixel I can barely hear someone even with the volume at maximum. Not brilliant.

Better quality and clarity from the single speaker than I expected.

wahsu88 said:
Anyone having issues turning their speaker all the way up and when watching video get like a popping sound?
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Yes, totally. If you've heard a blown speaker, it kind of sounds like that at the higher levels.
Can other people either confirm out deny this? I'm wondering if this is a "feature" or a defect.
Thanks.

I chat with support and they told me that it is an audio issue with the videos since the issue wasn't consistent. They said to factory reset my phone. I did that, played the same vdieo over and over and the issue is no longer there.

wahsu88 said:
I chat with support and they told me that it is an audio issue with the videos since the issue wasn't consistent. They said to factory reset my phone. I did that, played the same vdieo over and over and the issue is no longer there.
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I only noticed it when I was using the speakerphone during a call. I had to factory reset it later for a different reason so I'll check on it tomorrow but it still sounds tinny as Hell. And I'm coming from a Droid Turbo 1st generation.

Very average speaker! Waiting for Root so we can do some audio modifications and make it atleast decent quality.

Yeah it isn't as loud as my Nexus 6P, nor is it front facing. Or a dual setup. But it isn't as bad as I'd feared. Still plenty loud and crisp.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

subhani said:
Yeah it isn't as loud as my Nexus 6P, nor is it front facing. Or a dual setup. But it isn't as bad as I'd feared. Still plenty loud and crisp.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
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I wanna eat my words and some humble pie too. The speakers are almost as loud as the 6P if not equally loud. The 6p has better dynamic range but I felt that in some tracks, the Pixel was crisper. It's really a toss up.
Add they're not front firing, I have no issue calling up assistant for time or weather when I'm in bed. Yes, I'm that guy who always places phones face down. The audio just pumps out the grill without any muffling whatsoever.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

I haven't had enough time to test but mine seem to sound fine for what they are. Definitely not loud enough, but quality is on par to all the phones ive used minus an htc m9.
I actually prefer bottom speakers or speakers on the back for my particular use. I use my phones primarily for Google maps in my semi. I've used the sony z3 compact, htc m9, moto x, moto x 2nd gen, iphone 5s/6(s)/7., and oneplus 3
The best phone for audio i can actually hear while driving has been the 1st gen moto x. Sony,htc, snd 2nd gen moto x with front firing speakers are the worst. Iphone 6s better, iphone 7 best for iphones. One plus 3 probably in at #2 but they are not the best quality (more on the tinny side w/ lack of mid-low range).
I will have to compare the pixel next week.

Are there any mods yet for this? I would like my speakers to be loud as well coming from S7 Edge boy this speaker needs help! Anyone?

kingrichards said:
Are there any mods yet for this? I would like my speakers to be loud as well coming from S7 Edge boy this speaker needs help! Anyone?
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That's certainly odd. I did an EDM/Dubstep, standard voice, rock, and opera music test on the Pixel and Pixel XL compared to my Droid Turbo 2 and the iPhone 7 and 7+. This is what I came to:
-Pixel and Pixel XL are quite loud for a single/mono speaker setup, about equal in loudness to my Droid Turbo 2. All were quieter than the iPhone 7 and 7+, which is expected given their stereo/dual speaker setup.
-The iPhones possess a thin, metallic, tinny sound from both speakers, with a miniscule amount of bass or depth to the sound. The mids and highs were somewhat ear-piercing and overly sharp, and were overall not managed well. However, this is better than the S7 Edge from what I can tell, which sounded muffled, quiet, and tinny to me, when I watched a video on a Verizon display unit. However, I will have to do another test to truly give comparative results.
-The Pixels were quieter than the iPhones off the bat, which is to be expected, since they have mono speaker setups. But, the sound out of both of them was exactly as loud as my Turbo 2, and the Pixel's speakers have an impressive amount of depth. Bass was definitely present here, moreso than the Turbo 2, and the sound was not thin by any means. The mids and highs were present and did not sound tinny or not properly recognized by the speaker. However, the treble lacked the "wow" factor in comparison of the Turbo 2, whose treble was more crystalline and more alive, as well. Not that the Pixels sounded dead by any means, because their treble was also well represented and sound, at that high of frequencies, was not distorted, like it was a little bit with the iPhones, playing high-frequency sound (treble) in the soundtracks I used, but the highs and treble were more enhanced. So, it seems like the Pixel is better suited for bass and lower frequency sounds, whereas my Turbo 2 is better suited for treble and higher frequency sounds.
-In conclusion, the iPhones are OK in loudness for a dual-speaker setup, though their sound is thin, metallic and tinny, offering little to no depth of sound, especially compared to the Pixels, and not representing higher frequency sounds or voices properly, often falling apart in the treble compared to my Turbo 2. The Pixels are quieter than the iPhones, but offer the most depth of sound and bass of the three, and tie with the Turbo 2 for the least distortion of sound. Thehigher frequency sounds and the treble are present and well-represented with little distortion, but my Turbo 2 has a more crystalline, more alive upper register than the Pixel and especially the iPhone 7.
---------- Post added at 08:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:46 AM ----------
BTW in loudness, all three of the aforementioned smartphones are a joke compared to my 6P. In quality, however, the Pixel and my Turbo 2 come close to my 6P. The iPhone 7 gets decimated by my 6P though.

Low and bad quality

In call volume is definitely lower than my old Zuk Z2. Now I have to crank up the volume to max and still have a hard time in noisy locations. The speaker quality is acceptable. But I expected loud speakers when we are paying top dollar.
Overall, Pixel gives off an average phone vibe with overpriced price.

Front speaker rattle/distortion

Does anybody else notice when watching videos, particularly, with people talking, that the bottom speaker rattles and distorts at higher volumes >50%?

I filed a RMA replacement for this very reason. My new device is shipped out today.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app

I have it too.

JeffBea said:
I filed a RMA replacement for this very reason. My new device is shipped out today.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app
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Budwise said:
I have it too.
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Do you think they'll do some kind of update like lower the overall volume to mask this? I've looked on reddit and a lot of other people are having the same issue.

I decided after posting here that it was bad enough that I would roll the dice on an RMA replacement as well. Anything above around 50% just sounds like crap and the entire glass surface kinda buzzes in your hand. I don't see that being fixed in software...

Budwise said:
I decided after posting here that it was bad enough that I would roll the dice on an RMA replacement as well. Anything above around 50% just sounds like crap and the entire glass surface kinda buzzes in your hand. I don't see that being fixed in software...
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Let me know how your RMA device ends up. I was thinking that this could be due to the fact that the bottom speaker is louder than the top and that making them even would alleviate the problem?

Exact same issue. Also hope to hear how goes from those that RMA. I too notice it most with voices like the Google Assistant vs wider soudscape in music or video.

My speakers have very minor distortion on the highest volume, but any lower and there's none. Honestly the highest volume is much too loud for me anyway. These are the loudest speakers I've ever heard on a phone. They're just about as loud as my laptop.

No point in doing a RMA for this "issue" the volume is too high for the speakers. That or it's unbalanced, It's especially prevalent when you're making a call via speaker phone and ALL the volume is going through the bottom speaker. Both my friends units have it, I've been to three different Verizon stores and they all have it and same with the Best Buy units. Google will most likely lower the overall volume or correct the balance in a software update.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll.
xbox_clive said:
Does anybody else notice when watching videos, particularly, with people talking, that the bottom speaker rattles and distorts at higher volumes >50%?
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I had the same complaint. RMA unit (that was brand new) also had the rattling. Annoying. Every tech I chat with has not heard of this problem but it is covered in the Pixel product forums and here. I'm RMA'ing this one as well for the hellofit .. and because I just love re-setting up the phone and my watch... etc.

jeffreysleong said:
I had the same complaint. RMA unit (that was brand new) also had the rattling. Annoying. Every tech I chat with has not heard of this problem but it is covered in the Pixel product forums and here. I'm RMA'ing this one as well for the hellofit .. and because I just love re-setting up the phone and my watch... etc.
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Honestly you're probably just wasting your time and frustrating yourself. Out of all the units I've seen around 8~ both pure black and panda they all had the rattle especially on speakerphone calls because all the volume is coming only from the bottom. It's probably just cheap ass LG speakers that cannot handle the volume that Google has set. I'm assuming they will push a software update to make speakerphone calls on both speakers and lower the overall volume.

Actually, the rattling on my devices was out of the top speaker... One of the speakers was tuned louder than the other. Can't remember which one.

I got a rma. Same problem.

This speaker issue is probably the final issue that will make me return this phone. The rattle is really annoying. The other big issue is color accuracy. Natural and Boosted are not sRGB and too muted. Saturated mode is like cartoon land and browns appear as orange.
These issues would be far less magnified if this phone costed $200 less. But at this price, it's just not worth it for me. Feels like too many compromises.

Yeah noticed the rattle too on the bottom speaker. It's very noticeable at the 75% or above. I don't remember my original device having this so I'm not sure if it was just quieter as this one does seem noticeably loud.

I spoke with Google about this issue today and they stated the upcoming November update should fix it. I HIGHLY doubt it's a software issue, but I figured I would give it a chance. I still expect to have to RMA this thing after receiving the update.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

This is a hardware fault in my opinion if you so lightly touch the speaker mesh it moves around, and it doesn't seem very firm to me. Not to mention the dust issue, I had my phone for a day or so and already I can see the dust build up around the speaker mesh (I'm very clean I don't just put my phone in any place). Too much room around the speaker mesh is probably an issue for long-term

I have this issue with my pixel 2 xl. I rma'd it and got another brand new replacement. The replacement device has the same issue.

The Nexus 6p had the same issue when it was released, Google then pushed an update and or was all fixed. Getting in this RMA vicious is not going to solve it.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I have this also but I thought somebody on YouTube said that Google turned the top speaker down for this reason but maybe they didn't turn it down enough.

Too much vibration from speakers??

I was reading an article from bgr (link below) and they talked about a flaw that has not been talked about with the new pixel phones. They claim the speakers vibrate soo much when playing back music or video etc. that it feels like the vibration motor in the handset is on and is actually vibrating soo much you don't even want to hold the phone in your hand while audio is playing out the speakers.
The funny thing is I must have watched a zillion review videos and no one else has mentioned this. It would be weird that no one else caught this. I hope this is an isolated case if a case at all.
Anyone else heard of this issue?
https://bgr.com/2018/10/16/pixel-3-xl-review-supplement-design-flaw/

There's a huge difference between a flaw, and a feature/side effect. According to what is happening here the speakers are vibrating the phone from the sound of the speakers. There is no distortion, or sound issue, but a vibration side effect on the phone itself. It's like turning up your car stereo, or home theater, and the doors on the car vibrate, or the home speakers vibrate, and may even shake the walls. That is not a flaw, but a result of loud, sound speakers.

bobbyphoenix said:
There's a huge difference between a flaw, and a feature/side effect. According to what is happening here the speakers are vibrating the phone from the sound of the speakers. There is no distortion, or sound issue, but a vibration side effect on the phone itself. It's like turning up your car stereo, or home theater, and the doors on the car vibrate, or the home speakers vibrate, and may even shake the walls. That is not a flaw, but a result of loud, sound speakers.
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That's true but they claimed it was also significantly vibrating even at 50% volume. That's something I would expect at max volume. Either way we will see soon enough.

bsg411 said:
That's true but they claimed it was also significantly vibrating even at 50% volume. That's something I would expect at max volume. Either way we will see soon enough.
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Because of the IP68 rating, its pretty sealed, and thats why youre getting that vibration. Theres nowhere for that air to go so its going to bump into the case.

There is definitely a bit of vibration on my phone when music is played through the speakers but I currently don't find it to be an issue.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

It's there AND the speakers are much louder than the 2 and quite crisp. I'll take the trade off

A good case might absorb it some....

I think it’s a flaw. I’ve seen so many reviews praising the speakers of the pixel and I was surprised to find out that the audio experience is really subpar. Compared to my iPhone XS Max the sound is night and day. The iPhone is louder, more clear, and overall more pleasing. Another user in another thread described the pixel audio as “everyone in videos sound like their mouths are full peanut butter when they talk” and it’s a very accurate description of the sound. Not to mention the phone does indeed vibrate a ton when you get anywhere north or 35% volume and most of the sound emitted comes through the bottom speaker making the whole auditory experience sound unbalanced and not truly stereo. Both the iPhone and Pixel have the same IP68 very but the iPhone absolutely smashes the pixel as far are speakers are concerned.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just got my pixel 3 xl setup and WOW im shocked at the amount of vibration from a video. I played a video of us singing happy birthday to my daughter on my Pixel 2 xl at 50% volume and near max say 90% and there is some vibration at the edges not much at the center. i then did the same test with the pixel 3 XL and its bad at 25% volume and gets worse from there the whole back vibrates right from the center out. both test with no case. Im going to pick up a case today and see if it absorbs some. This could be a deal breaker for me, i like to watch videos on my phone and that will just get annoying

Yeah there is a lot of vibration from the speakers thru the whole phone, my 2XL did not have that, the sound is a lot Fuller and louder then that phone though.
I have the Google fabric case and it does not reduce it at all.
It does not bother me to much, the buzzing/distortion on my lower speaker bothers me a lot.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

My phone arrived today and I have a spigen case waiting for it. When I get home Ill test this out and report back how it feels.

After some more use there is some odd sound issues , sending a text through the stock app the sound makes an odd sound that is not present on my pixel 2 xl . is like a tiny crackly vibration sound . i have similar sounds from pokemon go as well ...man this really stinks , i expected the sound to be like my pixel 2 xl

The fact the phone is vibrating without distortion is pretty awesome.
It indicates fuller sound with more audio being produced in the low end.
This is fantastic news.
I'm sorry ya'll wimpy hands can't handle vibrations.

CZ Eddie said:
The fact the phone is vibrating without distortion is pretty awesome.
It indicates fuller sound with more audio being produced in the low end.
This is fantastic news.
I'm sorry ya'll wimpy hands can't handle vibrations.
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It’s not a matter of hands being bothered, at least not for me, it’s a matter of the sound being **** because there is too much low end frequency and resonance and the highs and mids become almost inaudible. I won’t use it without headphones now cause I just can’t understand and clearly, the sound coming from the music or videos. Either that’s or I’ll just pick up my iPhone because it sounds like a damn IMAX Dolby experience in comparison lmao
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

CZ Eddie said:
The fact the phone is vibrating without distortion is pretty awesome.
It indicates fuller sound with more audio being produced in the low end.
This is fantastic news.
I'm sorry ya'll wimpy hands can't handle vibrations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My pixel 2 xl sounded nice with out the annoyance of a vibrating phone on every sound. i like fuller sound to a point. sure my hands can HANDle it ( lol sorry just being silly and had to bold hand) but do i want or like it is another story. i watched the same few videos and they sounded good on both phones ans sure the 3xl was a bit fuller but the vibrating was sorta distracting for me , there might even be some distorting from it as well.

razor237 said:
My pixel 2 xl sounded nice with out the annoyance of a vibrating phone on every sound. i like fuller sound to a point. sure my hands can HANDle it ( lol sorry just being silly and had to bold hand) but do i want or like it is another story. i watched the same few videos and they sounded good on both phones ans sure the 3xl was a bit fuller but the vibrating was sorta distracting for me , there might even be some distorting from it as well.
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This is my exact experience! If I’ve been watching videos on my pixel and then pick up my iPhone to watch a video it’s like I’ve steeped into an imax theatre with the Dolby atoms experience it’s so much better [emoji23]. Google needs to push an update to the sound tuning ASAP
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pure+ said:
This is my exact experience! If I’ve been watching videos on my pixel and then pick up my iPhone to watch a video it’s like I’ve steeped into an imax theatre with the Dolby atoms experience it’s so much better [emoji23]. Google needs to push an update to the sound tuning ASAP
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Yeah i was comparing to my pixel 2 xl figured it was a fair comparison both with similar front firing speakers .... i i remember correctly my nexus 6P had some sound issues that was solved by updates so maybe they can reduce it a bit

razor237 said:
Yeah i was comparing to my pixel 2 xl figured it was a fair comparison both with similar front firing speakers .... i i remember correctly my nexus 6P had some sound issues that was solved by updates so maybe they can reduce it a bit
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I was just totally shocked because I’ve seen so many reviews praising these speakers especially when compared to the two new iPhones and that’s just not been my experience at all. Maybe it’s preference but I can’t imagine how these things are define as clear, crisp, etc
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love the phone but hate the distortion of the speakers, I don't listen to music that much but it is so bad, even on YouTube videos.i might have to return this thing.
I have seen 3 phones so far and they all have that issue. Maybe I have to switch to the 10s Max.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

marcocb8 said:
I love the phone but hate the distortion of the speakers, I don't listen to music that much but it is so bad, even on YouTube videos.i might have to return this thing.
I have seen 3 phones so far and they all have that issue. Maybe I have to switch to the 10s Max.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
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Yeah everyone was going on about the notch and that's not too bad at all but the sounds is more of an issue for me at least , the 10s Max does sound good and doesn't vibrate like the 3xl, i was just comparing to my wife's. but man the only issue with that is using iOS

Question Terribly tinny and imbalanced sound?

I noticed that the sound quality of the built-in speakers is... terrible... to be putting it mildly. Initially I thought there was just a lot of bass but during calls the sound is very "sharp" but not in a good way, more like hurting my ears piercing. When I'm playing videos or music, not only is the top speaker at most half of the lower speaker's volume, but the overall experience is like the phone was dropped into a tin can. I already tried Wavelet to balance the speakers but the sound quality still is abysmal. My 3.5 year-old S9+ outperforms the 6Pro by far. The little things that bother me with this phone keep adding up and I'm not sure how many more I can take. At least the call quality should be OK, right?

.... Hopefully it ain't anything wrong with your device but I definitely don't have such an issue. I think the sound is great. Honestly I'm kind of impressed at how well the top speaker sounds yet I can barely even see the speaker based on how seamless the screen goes into the frame at the top.
Is it the best sound of any smart phone... No I'm sure it's not. Is it better than my pixel 4XL which had great sound to me, Yes. They are actually the same loudness yet the 6 pro sound is clearer at full volume. I understand that sound is subjective however I would have to 1000% disagree with you.

manners400 said:
.... Hopefully it ain't anything wrong with your device but I definitely don't have such an issue. I think the sound is great. Honestly I'm kind of impressed at how well the top speaker sounds yet I can barely even see the speaker based on how seamless the screen goes into the frame at the top.
Is it the best sound of any smart phone... No I'm sure it's not. Is it better than my pixel 4XL which had great sound to me, Yes. They are actually the same loudness yet the 6 pro sound is clearer at full volume. I understand that sound is subjective however I would have to 1000% disagree with you.
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Same here but not quite as loud as my Note 20 Ultra.

manners400 said:
.... Hopefully it ain't anything wrong with your device but I definitely don't have such an issue. I think the sound is great. Honestly I'm kind of impressed at how well the top speaker sounds yet I can barely even see the speaker based on how seamless the screen goes into the frame at the top.
Is it the best sound of any smart phone... No I'm sure it's not. Is it better than my pixel 4XL which had great sound to me, Yes. They are actually the same loudness yet the 6 pro sound is clearer at full volume. I understand that sound is subjective however I would have to 1000% disagree with you.
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So there might be something wrong with the device? The sound is basically like a 48 kbit MP3 file
EDIT: Maybe I'll head over to Best Buy this weekend to talk to the folks there and get a replacement if necessary.

funnycreature said:
So there might be something wrong with the device? The sound is basically like a 48 kbit MP3 file
EDIT: Maybe I'll head over to Best Buy this weekend to talk to the folks there and get a replacement if necessary.
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funnycreature said:
So there might be something wrong with the device? The sound is basically like a 48 kbit MP3 file
EDIT: Maybe I'll head over to Best Buy this weekend to talk to the folks there and get a replacement if necessary.
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I have no complaints about the sound from mine. Nothing like you've described. I do hope that you get it worked out.

In developer settings you can change the stereo balance if you need to.

kboya said:
I have no complaints about the sound from mine. Nothing like you've described. I do hope that you get it worked out.
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Thank you! I'll let y'all know

ironically a semi audiophile on reddit did a full on rant today how the audio had too much bass
meanwhile reviews say the speakers sound good and have actual bass for once but the mids/high increase the higher the volume gets
honestly these are very good sounding speakers for a smartphone especially when i compare to my galaxy note 9

For me the speakers are great, I have compared the sound with the iphone 13 and I have to say the pixels are better, at least for me. I know that for some they have too much bass, but for me it is perfect

funnycreature said:
I noticed that the sound quality of the built-in speakers is... terrible... to be putting it mildly. Initially I thought there was just a lot of bass but during calls the sound is very "sharp" but not in a good way, more like hurting my ears piercing. When I'm playing videos or music, not only is the top speaker at most half of the lower speaker's volume, but the overall experience is like the phone was dropped into a tin can. I already tried Wavelet to balance the speakers but the sound quality still is abysmal. My 3.5 year-old S9+ outperforms the 6Pro by far. The little things that bother me with this phone keep adding up and I'm not sure how many more I can take. At least the call quality should be OK, right?
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I don't know how good the S9+ sounds, never had one. What I can tell is that the P6 Pro sounds good, it has a slight imbalance between top and bottom, but in terms of clarity and bass, it's a good sounding phone speaker. So either your expectations are extraodinary, or your device is defective. Best go to the place where you bought it and ask that the store rep compares the sound of your phone to one that they have on display, that way you can quickly find out if your device has a defect.

Thank you all! Is there a good app or sound piece that I can use to test?

Morgrain said:
I don't know how good the S9+ sounds, never had one. What I can tell is that the P6 Pro sounds good, it has a slight imbalance between top and bottom, but in terms of clarity and bass, it's a good sounding phone speaker. So either your expectations are extraodinary, or your device is defective. Best go to the place where you bought it and ask that the store rep compares the sound of your phone to one that they have on display, that way you can quickly find out if your device has a defect.
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I wanted to go to the local Betsy Buy (bought it online through BB) but it's not available there. Not sure they could give me a device to compare mine to

I honestly felt the same way comparing the 6P to my 2 XL. the 6P sounds rather flat and unbalanced. Much prefer the older device.

crucialcolin said:
I honestly felt the same way comparing the 6P to my 2 XL. the 6P sounds rather flat and unbalanced. Much prefer the older device.
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Wow really? You have them side by side and compared? I ask because my 4 XL was definitely better than my 2 XL and the 6 Pro is definitely louder and has more range than my 4 XL at all volume increments. I agree it's ever so slightly louder on the bottom speaker than the ear piece one but it's not horrible.

EeZeEpEe said:
Wow really? You have them side by side and compared? I ask because my 4 XL was definitely better than my 2 XL and the 6 Pro is definitely louder and has more range than my 4 XL at all volume increments. I agree it's ever so slightly louder on the bottom speaker than the ear piece one but it's not horrible.
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I checked out the demo models at best buy both the 6 and pro. I will say at max volume the new devices are cleaner sounding.

crucialcolin said:
I checked out the demo models at best buy both the 6 and pro. I will say at max volume the new devices are cleaner sounding.
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Yeah in your home or reasonably quieter area than Best Buy, the difference is very noticeable. I keep all my sound volumes a little lower than my 4 XL settings because it's that much louder.