Ken Londoner is disturbed with Sony Xperia Z3 Compact's Microphone & Audio problem

[kenlondoner]

I've had the Z3 Compact for almost a year now. It started it's life with Android 4.4.3 and is currently updated to 6.0.1.
Now, the first problem is with the phone microphone. It seems to be too soft, and other parties cannot hear me that well unless I put the bottom side very close to the chin/mouth while speaking. In the previous versions there was the ability to disable the secondary microphone and that helped a solving the problem, but now there's now way to regulate that. Is there a way to boost microphone sensitivity?
The secondary problem is with the calling as well. When I dial, sometimes the beeping that you hear distorts and sounds like a digital meshed/morphed sound. I've brought the unit back to service, and they said that there is no problem whatsoever. They said that this may be related to the provider... If someone is facing the same problem, can you please provide me with some solutions.

Thanks
Ken Londoner

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Make sure nothing is blocking or clogging the primary mic opening. Use a needle or safety pin to gently scrape out the opening.

 

[kenlondoner]

I have cleaned the mic hole, it had a small amount of cloth and dust in it... But unfortunately this doesn't work.

Is there maybe some app or hidden *#*# code that can let me tweak the mic gain?

Thanks anyway
Ken Londoner

 

[B. Diddy]

Sorry, not that I know of.

 

[kenlondoner]

I've been roaming around the internet lately, trying to find a viable solution to this troubling problem. Partially the audio is manageable (knock on wood) - could be worse. But the problem with the microphone is most troubling, cause I have to shove it up my mouth so that people can understand me and hear my voice.

Nonetheless, I've seen various apks that supposedly give you access to the audio settings (via root). Some of them describe the setup and the whole changing-of-the-volume process as simple as turning a dial on your stereo. But I've never tried any of them (so far), I am not that desperate in this moment, and I am not ready to go all in. Does anybody have an app that he/she has already tried it out and practically guarantee that can help me turn up the volume on my microphone?

Or better, does anybody know the secret *#*# code that gives me access to the phone functions via the so-called *engineering mode*. I already know the *#*#7378423#*#* for going into "service mode".

Thank you in advance
Kenneth Londoner

 

[kenlondoner]

I've been doing a lot of reading lately and I decided to cancel my ongoing service and switch to another operator. The call quality at first seems to be quite alright, as I am positive I am not hearing that distorted beep from my speaker. It seems that this problem was indeed related to the quality of the network and the signal. Could the mic issue be a part of that, as I haven't been testing that out?

Regards
Kenneth Londoner

 

[B. Diddy]

Glad to hear this new carrier seems to work better. Which carrier do you have now, and which one did you have before?

If the network quality was poor, I think that could explain the poor voice quality that the other person heard from you.

 

[kenlondoner]

I switched from Vodafone to T-mobile. I primarily live in The UK, but am working in Albania (so I am talking about the GSM operators here in Europe). While this may be an odd choice here in Albania, I beg everyone to see the difference between these 2 operators.

 

[kenlondoner]

Big News Everybody!
I just got an update to version 23.5.A.0.575 and now the noise suppression toggle is back in audio settings. You can switch it on and off again (as I was saying in my initial post), and I have made a few calls only to confirm that on the other end they can hear me again! YAY!

Thanks to Sony for their "marginal" update from .570 to .575 I am basically happy again. *I have to mention that my phone's CDA is 1289-7528 (which is Android MENA Arabic), so this update may not land on all regions at the same time. If you have a similar problem - fingers crossed, you will get it soon enough.

Regards
Kenneth Londoner