Call quality

[jpvybes]

All, I know I'm not the only one who has a Thunderbolt with mediocre call quality. This is per a response from HTC customer support. It's not terrible but is by no means great! So please complain to HTC!!!

HTC Mobile Phones - Customer Service - E-mail Support


Jeff, as yet this has not been seen as a trend with HTC. every call and email is flagged by the model ofthe device and the issue. This information is then gathered by HTC to see if any trends are occurring. My suggestion is to turn the device off, remove the battery for 20 seconds, replace and turn back on. If this does not resolve the issue, you will need to perform a factory reset.

Factory reset is not a step to be taken lightly. It’ll permanently delete all your data and
customized settings, and will remove any applications you’ve downloaded and installed. Be sure to
back up any data and files you want to keep before you do a factory reset using HTC Sync.

 

[CallerHoller]

I've had two TB's and both were great compared to my OG Droid.

 

[EggoEspada]

Yea. Call quality is no where near my Motorola Droid. One of many things Motorola does right and oh so well is sound and call quality. Something HTC really needs to address.

 

[jpvybes]

Granted we'll hardly ever use this phone as an actual phone because it does so much, I think it should still sound better than it does. If I were you I'd definitely log a ticket with HTC. The more people complain, the more motivated they'll be to try and fix it!

 

[mikednichols]

I've also had poor sound quality from the earpiece on my unit. There is an existing thread on this topic, wherein a number of users described hearing "hissing" or "white noise" as the background of someone's voice during a call. This is exactly my issue, too.

Although my local VZW store did not agree with my assessment and think that the call quality is "very good", I was able to get customer service to ship me out a new phone for free. I'll see tomorrow if the new unit has the same issue. If it does, I'm returning it and waiting for other LTE-capable devices to come out.

Admittedly, I am plagued with what I believe to be extraordinary hearing. It's actually quite annoying, and I wish I didn't hear quite as well (loud noises, sloppy eaters, snifflers -- all much too amplified). I just want my phone to sound as good as my old clamshell (LG 8350), which I'll unfortunately be going back to if the new handset isn't a drastic improvement.

So... you're not alone

 

[jpvybes]

I did see that other thread. I got the same response from Verizon, but I still made them give me a new phone, however it sounded exactly the same. If you turn the Hearing aid mode on it goes away so it's definitely a software issue. I plan on keeping the phone but would really like that to be fixed. Don't forget, you'll be grandfathered in to the 4G LTE and won't have to pay extra later on! Just complain to HTC like I've been doing!

 

[mikednichols]

@jpvybes

I have tried toggling the hearing aid mode and voice privacy on/off in every combination, and I still haven't been satisfied. I love the device, but every time I am on a call it really bothers me. People are picky about a lot of things, and I am very picky about AV quality

As far as my experience/opinion on it "going away" when toggling the hearing aid mode, it definitely suppresses the white noise/hissing. However, it also reduces the call volume! I'm not sure it is really improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Plus, I can still hear that electrical hiss, unfortunately.

Being grandfathered in would be amazing, but I probably won't see 4G until near the end of the year (Durham, NC) and I'll see improvements in call quality immediately.

No matter what happens, I'll voice my complaint to HTC for the greater good