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iPhone 5 voice calls sound like in a tunnel?

I

Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2009
1,153
12
Every now and then with my new iPhone 5 I'll be on a voice call and the earpiece sound has a warbled sound. It's very weird and kind of makes me dizzy feeling but it makes the people sound like we're in a tunnel or something.

I don't know if it's the extra microphones picking up on something it shouldn't and distorting the sound but it makes me feel very weird when it happens.

Comments?
 
OMG yes....

I have been having this exact same problem and I thought I was crazy...it is weird cuz it makes the ear I have the phone to feel stopped up and kinda makes me feel sick=( and it will have a very airy sound to it:confused:
 
ginnyrw said:
I have been having this exact same problem and I thought I was crazy...it is weird cuz it makes the ear I have the phone to feel stopped up and kinda makes me feel sick=( and it will have a very airy sound to it:confused:
Click to expand...


That's the description I was trying to find/relay. "Stopped up" kind of like when your nose is stopped up. If you hold your nose and talk that kind of what it sounds like.

I'm thinking it has something to do with the 3 microphones doing some analyzing, but not sure.
 
I have the same problem, it feels dizzy for a second or my ear just "pop" then sounds echo-ish... I guess it has something to do with the new mic.
 
iphone 5 tunnel/black hole sound

Okay--- I am so happy people are finally posting about this. I noticed it the first 5 minutes I had my new iphone. Verison and Apple think im crazy and wont replace my phone because "its an issue they have not heard of yet"! WTF...i stop using my 5 and went back to my 4 because it was making me so dizzy I thought I was going to throw up! what is going on?
 
It sounds like the noise canceling I hear when I have those type of headphones on. I believe it is the noise canceling. I get that as well but it doesn't bother me. Used to it from wearing those type of head phones on a plane.
 
I've been having the same problem since I got my iPhone 5 from AT&T. When I'm on a call, i Intermittently hear a sound that I describe as putting my ear to a conch shell; it sounds like listening to "the ocean". I haven't yet taken it back to Apple, but I plan to. My girlfriend got her Iphone 5 on the same day and she isn't having this problem at all. I wonder if there was a bad batch that went out.
 
So is it happening to the ear you are holding your phone up to, or the other one? It sounds crazy, but I experienced that in my right ear, while holding the phone to my left. It sounded like that ear (the free one) was stopped up or muted.
 
I hear that too, it's definitely the noise canceling. Some new technique they're using. I believe the back microphone picks up ambient sound and reproduces it "the other way round" on the main microphone (the one you put to your ear) to wipe out ambient noise.

I don't think anyone should take his iPhone 5 back because of this. It's simply the way it works, you will get used to it.

I noticed it when making calls while walking outside on a windy day. Noise canceling would kick in and give this "ear popping" sensation. It's weird at first, but then you notice that it's indeed canceling out ambient noise, which is a good thing.
 
No doubt it is Apple noise cancellation at work. I find it is working quite well. Other than that, my phone call quality is better than any other phone I have used.
 
HowardSmith said:
No doubt it is Apple noise cancellation at work. I find it is working quite well. Other than that, my phone call quality is better than any other phone I have used.
Click to expand...

Same here. And btw, if you make a call among 2 iPhone 5's which are both on 3G, it will go to "HD Voice" and sound even better. Quite amazing.
 
tunnel like audio on iphone 5

hi.. i have this problem.. its intermmitent, but is annoying. at first i thought there was something wrong with my ear.. its strange, when i have the phone up to my ear, the conversation starts out clear as a whistle then becomes airy, like the person you are talking to stepped away.. like you ear just popped and i hold the phone away from my ear then back and it seems to get better then it can happen again.

i took my 64 g white iphone 5 to the apple store; genius guy said he has heard this with verizon phones but not AT&T and he updated my firmware to a more stable one.. unfortunately, the problem continues to exist..

heres to another trip to the apple store..
 
You sure you guys are not confusing this for HD voice ? My mum said the same with it ! I was like mother get with it it's HD voice !
 
Imola Ghost said:
Every now and then with my new iPhone 5 I'll be on a voice call and the earpiece sound has a warbled sound. It's very weird and kind of makes me dizzy feeling but it makes the people sound like we're in a tunnel or something.

I don't know if it's the extra microphones picking up on something it shouldn't and distorting the sound but it makes me feel very weird when it happens.

Comments?
Click to expand...

I actually feel like the sound quality on my phone for phone calls is significantly worse than my 4. No matter where I am it is hard to hear the other person.

If someone says: I like hamburgers.. it might sound like I%&)#$*#burgers
 
Same thing happened to me, I thought it's the same as what happened to some people who bought the 4S early on release. Any way I think they will fix it with the first update.
 
maybe its' dolby surround instead of HD?

initially i didnt take note of it - but of late it does sound abit tunneling ... :)
 
Have any of you tried noting how you are holding the phone when this happens? With my iPhone 5, I have limited it down to happening whenever I am covering the new microphone on the back of the phone between the camera and the flash. Whether this is with my shoulder or my hand, anytime I cover the microphone on the back of the phone, I get the "I can't understand you anymore; it sounds like you are in a tunnel; it sounds like you are really far away and talking into a pillow..." response. Anybody else?
 
I also realized this today with my wifes phone. I tried it because she has been complaining about it. Any solutions?? Did anyone exchange their phone?
 
Has anyone found a solution for this "wind sound" issue? I am about to exchange for my 3rd phone tomorrow. :eek: This is crazy that there are so many complaints but no resolutions.
Any help woyuld be greatly appreciated!!!
 
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