Really Bad Call Sound on LG G4

[onebeanshy]

Hi! I've had my LG G4 for a month now. So far, I really like it. I jumped from a Galaxy S3 to LG G4 due to the external memory card, plus I was reading great things about the camera.

The problem I'm having is with the sound quality during calls. It's like I'm talking to people while they are in wind tunnels. (Actually, it sounds like they are in the car with the windows opened.) They hear me fine, but I hear them poorly. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I have the same service (AT&T) and my SIII was perfect sound. I can call my husband from in the house, standing next to each other, and he has perfect sound quality (Galaxy S4) and mine is atrocious. I'm now at the point where I don't want to talk to people on the phone because the call quality is poor.

Am I missing any settings? Currently, I've tried toggling noise suppression and voice clarity and nothing has changed.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
-Erin

 

[oldschoolsig]

This is à huge thing for me... My g4 is crazy clear and might be one of my favorite things about the phone. Loud, clear and the speaker is great and the proximity sensor is flawless unlike my last 5 smartphones.

 

[RedOctobyr]

I'm trying to think of a way to test the speaker for your ear that you use while holding the phone for a call. Is there anything else that uses that little speaker?

How do calls sound if you use maybe a Bluetooth headset, or a wired headset? Something to let you isolate that speaker from general call-sound performance.

 

[eanhalt1]

onebeanshy, I'm on ATT in the Los Angeles area and my LG g4 is crystal clear. Probably the best call quality I've ever had on any phone. I would take the phone back. Sounds like a defective phone.

 

[onebeanshy]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. I guess I'll hit up my AT&T store tomorrow since I'll be heading to that area anyway. I already factory reset it to see if that would help and it didn't, so I think I've covered all my bases.

To answer the speaker question, the sound is a bit better when I use speakerphone, but you still hear the "shhhhhh" sound, just not as loudly. I hear it when it's connected to my car (Bluetooth). I have not tried Bluetooth or wired headphones though.

Thanks again!
-Erin

 

[Ebko]

In settings/networks/call, there are two settings that will improve call quality. Noise suppression and Voice quality.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[rdt595]

onebeanshy, I'm on ATT in the Los Angeles area and my LG g4 is crystal clear. Probably the best call quality I've ever had on any phone. I would take the phone back. Sounds like a defective phone.

AT&T in L.A. also and my sound quality is stellar.

Posted with LG G4 via the Android Central App

 

[enrico_rusli]

Maybe the problem is your friends' microphone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[onebeanshy]

Maybe the problem is your friends' microphone.

Posted via the Android Central App

I thought so at first (my mom is the main person I talk to) but it happens on landlines or cells and it's everyone. So it's definitely on my end. I can't go today so I'll be heading to AT&T tomorrow. I purchased through them so hopefully it will be painless.

Thanks!

 

[Almeuit]

I thought so at first (my mom is the main person I talk to) but it happens on landlines or cells and it's everyone. So it's definitely on my end. I can't go today so I'll be heading to AT&T tomorrow. I purchased through them so hopefully it will be painless.

Thanks!

Sounds like it is your phone for sure. A replacement should fix it.

 

[the53rdcard]

Mine had a strange buzzing or reverberation when HD calling was turned on, once i turned it off, it worked fine, i found it under settings advanced calling

 

[roy ellis]

On verizon I could only find these settngs by opening stock dailer app. Tap the 3 dots and check or uncheck.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[sswitzer]

Mine had a strange buzzing or reverberation when HD calling was turned on, once i turned it off, it worked fine, i found it under settings advanced calling

Sounds like a carrier-specific thing... my Bell Canada phone does not have this option. What carrier are you using?

Was the HD calling something you had enabled for your phone, or was it on by default? I'm asking in case I come across other people having call quality issues so that they can be advised of a solution.

On verizon I could only find these settngs by opening stock dailer app. Tap the 3 dots and check or uncheck.

Was it enabled by default? Were you having issues before that are now gone?

 

[RedOctobyr]

From the terminology, I'm speculating that he's using Verizon.

Note that HD calling, with Verizon, is for more than just better call audio. With Advanced Calling turned off (HD calling is part of Advanced Calling, video calling is the other part), you can be on a phone call, or use data. But when you make a call with Advanced Calling (HD calling) turned off, your data connection immediately drops. So no texts (I think), navigation data, etc.

Turn Advanced Calling on (at least HD calling), and if on 4G, you can be on the phone, and also still use data. But on 3G, I believe you will still lose the data connection when on the phone.

But turning off Advanced Calling takes away more than just audio-quality considerations.

 

[sswitzer]

From the terminology, I'm speculating that he's using Verizon.

Note that HD calling, with Verizon, is for more than just better call audio. With Advanced Calling turned off (HD calling is part of Advanced Calling, video calling is the other part), you can be on a phone call, or use data. But when you make a call with Advanced Calling (HD calling) turned off, your data connection immediately drops. So no texts (I think), navigation data, etc.

Turn Advanced Calling on (at least HD calling), and if on 4G, you can be on the phone, and also still use data. But on 3G, I believe you will still lose the data connection when on the phone.

But turning off Advanced Calling takes away more than just audio-quality considerations.

Based on that I'd love to know if those complaining of bad quality audio on calls are at least seeing that issue go away if they turn off that feature; at that point I'd definitely chalk it up to carrier issue, and not really a G4 issue at all.

 

[onebeanshy]

Based on that I'd love to know if those complaining of bad quality audio on calls are at least seeing that issue go away if they turn off that feature; at that point I'd definitely chalk it up to carrier issue, and not really a G4 issue at all.

I located that option on my phone (AT&T) and toggled it on and off and had no change. I still had the whistling/air sounds.

 

[the53rdcard]

Sounds like a carrier-specific thing... my Bell Canada phone does not have this option. What carrier are you using?
Was the HD calling something you had enabled for your phone, or was it on by default? I'm asking in case I come across other people having call quality issues so that they can be advised of a solution.
Was it enabled by default? Were you having issues before that are now gone?

Im on verizon, and disabling the feature cleared up the calls, on mine it was on by default, after the verizon update, however, prior to the update it was off and i had turned it on, noticed the issue, then turned it back off. My phone is totally stock by the way. stock launcher, no root

i will also add to this, i have a friend who calls me from his home phone and the buzzing is back big time, no settings fix it, but when he calls on his cell its crystal clear. usually the calls are clear, i think in this case it was his crappy house phone. calling to cell phones i have never noticed any issue once i turned off that feature, but when it is on, i can tell a difference between phones that share it and phones that dont.

 

[onebeanshy]

Just left AT&T. They heard the sound. Changing the SIM didn't work, so he put a note on my account and now I have to call warranty.

At least I'm not crazy with the sound.

Thank you!

-Erin

 

[mge1201]

I just got off a call and other end said I sounded horrible and muffled. I called back after disabling noise reduction and voice clarity options and still no change, I still sound bad on caller end. I'm on t-mobile.

 

[sswitzer]

I just got off a call and other end said I sounded horrible and muffled. I called back after disabling noise reduction and voice clarity options and still no change, I still sound bad on caller end. I'm on t-mobile.

If it happens all the time (or even most of the time) then I'd say it's a carrier issue and you should contact them. On the other hand, if it's just the occasional call then I'd say it's either where you or your friend were located at the time.

I've had a few times when I can hear the other person OK, but they can't hear me very well, and either re-starting the call or moving to a new location helped.

I know it's not very helpful, but there's a good chance that the issue is not actually your phone.