Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone XS iPhone Xs speaker/sound quality - anyone noticing this?

rhaezorblue

rhaezorblue

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2012
429
332
Old phone - iPhone 8 Plus
New phone - iPhone XS

I've lived with the iPhone 8 Plus for a year and it has very good speakers/sound quality. Frequently I listen to spoken word podcasts (ie not music), newcasts, Youtube TV etc.

One thing that I've noticed after having the XS for several days is frequently when listening to speech, I pick up a "tinny" quality to the speaker output. I've noticed this in several apps.

Apple music sounds good on it, but of course the volume is usually louder so its harder to tell.

Anyone else hearing this with their Xs?
 
Yes I am in the same situation, I have a 7+ and my Xs Max sounds way worse, it sounds like the $200 Android phone on Unbox Therapy channel. My Xs Max at least has worse sound quality, display isnt much brighter, and yellow tint is so obvious. Im thinking of just returning and waiting until next year.
 
rhaezorblue said:
Old phone - iPhone 8 Plus
New phone - iPhone XS

I've lived with the iPhone 8 Plus for a year and it has very good speakers/sound quality. Frequently I listen to spoken word podcasts (ie not music), newcasts, Youtube TV etc.

One thing that I've noticed after having the XS for several days is frequently when listening to speech, I pick up a "tinny" quality to the speaker output. I've noticed this in several apps.

Apple music sounds good on it, but of course the volume is usually louder so its harder to tell.

Anyone else hearing this with their Xs?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have an iPhone xs for a few days and I have noticed the same thing. I hope it's just a software problem that will be solved with an update.
 
Have any of you spoken with apple support yet to report the bug? I will do so tomorrow.
 
I experience this issue primarily when making phone calls, but I also hear it during video playback. I only hear it from the receiver/earpiece speaker and have actually traded out my phone and my 2nd phone has the same issue. I've tested out several Xs models at several stores and found that they all have the same "buzzing" or "rattling" sound in the earpiece. It is worse at higher volumes especially over about 80%.

I think it's a hardware issue, much like what affected the iPhone X. Fairly certain at this point that I'm going to return the phone as first and foremost it should function well as a phone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris Emanuel
I posted on this earlier this evening--I am hearing a distortion/buzzing on the right channel with headphones which is really disappointing. I've tried different headphones and settings but nothing gets rid of it. My 8 Plus sounded great. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if I can get a replacement.
 
rhaezorblue said:
Hmm you hear it also in headphones? I’ll have to test that.
Click to expand...


I do not hear in the headphones. I feel the annoyance only and only in calls. In audio whatsapp, which is the closest thing to calls, you do not hear. I called the apple support and strangely in that call I did not feel the annoyance (I do not explain why), while in other calls I still hear it. They made me do some tests with the voice memos but the sound was good, so they told me there was no problem. Exclusively with calls you feel the annoyance.
 
I'm having the same problem with 2 units: the first and the second one (changed from the first). I think that could be a software problem, but if it was a hardware problem... I will probably return my device.
 
We hope it will be a similar software problem with iPhone 8 and 8 plus like last year. I read it with a simple update that they solved. Also I read that even the iPhone X had the same problem, but I do not know if it was solved. It is not possible to present phones with problems similar to last year's devices.
 
The issue doesn't appear to be there or noticeable when I play the same audio content through bluetooth when in my car. I'll test my airpods and see how that goes
 
rhaezorblue said:
The issue doesn't appear to be there or noticeable when I play the same audio content through bluetooth when in my car. I'll test my airpods and see how that goes
Click to expand...

There are no problems with the airpods to me. Only in the call for me is the problem. We hope the apple has a solution. Also because as I see it is a problem that occurs on various devices.
 
No tinniness on my XS Max. I have experienced certain popping sounds from in-game music when playing Asphalt 9, but I believe this is a game bug as I have not experienced it anywhere else.
 
franini said:
I'm having the same problem with 2 units: the first and the second one (changed from the first). I think that could be a software problem, but if it was a hardware problem... I will probably return my device.
Click to expand...
Did you set either of them up as a new iPhone, or restore an icloud/itunes backup to both?
 
Miromiro said:
We hope it will be a similar software problem with iPhone 8 and 8 plus like last year. I read it with a simple update that they solved. Also I read that even the iPhone X had the same problem, but I do not know if it was solved. It is not possible to present phones with problems similar to last year's devices.
Click to expand...

The iPhone 8/8+ had several ‘speaker’ issues.
The first was the crackling during calls. Apple acknowledged this and had a fix for it within days. Based on how they ‘addressed’ the second issue I am pretty sure Apple knew the fix before publicly admitting to its existence.

The second speaker issue with the 8/8+ was only noticeable in certain apps but it was BAD. In fact, it is pretty ironic that before the issue Sky Guide was a promoted app by Apple and on its display models. That app magically disappeared from demo units as the speaker ‘clipping’ was HORRIBLE in that app. Other apps were PCalc, Sudoku Master edition to name a few. What would happen is it sounds would kickoff horrible speaker clipping. It was loud and obvious and could be demonstrated on-demand. I worked with Apple on this for months and after I got tired of sending logs they were able to fix it. Looking at my emails with the Apple Executive Liason it looks like it was about 6 months after launch that it was fixed.

This issue did affect some X devices as well.. I can’t say all like the 8/8+ (I went through several and all had the issue). I had one Apple employee tell me my sound was totally normal (it’s NOT) and I asked if he would load one of the apps onto his new X. He did. When the speaker started clipping horribly I asked him if he was OK with new new $1,000 X doing that.. no answer.

Long rant.. I know.. hopefully it is the ‘quick’ solution with the XS/XSM.
 
  • Like
Reactions: draa
PBz said:
The iPhone 8/8+ had several ‘speaker’ issues.
The first was the crackling during calls. Apple acknowledged this and had a fix for it within days. Based on how they ‘addressed’ the second issue I am pretty sure Apple knew the fix before publicly admitting to its existence.

The second speaker issue with the 8/8+ was only noticeable in certain apps but it was BAD. In fact, it is pretty ironic that before the issue Sky Guide was a promoted app by Apple and on its display models. That app magically disappeared from demo units as the speaker ‘clipping’ was HORRIBLE in that app. Other apps were PCalc, Sudoku Master edition to name a few. What would happen is it sounds would kickoff horrible speaker clipping. It was loud and obvious and could be demonstrated on-demand. I worked with Apple on this for months and after I got tired of sending logs they were able to fix it. Looking at my emails with the Apple Executive Liason it looks like it was about 6 months after launch that it was fixed.

This issue did affect some X devices as well.. I can’t say all like the 8/8+ (I went through several and all had the issue). I had one Apple employee tell me my sound was totally normal (it’s NOT) and I asked if he would load one of the apps onto his new X. He did. When the speaker started clipping horribly I asked him if he was OK with new new $1,000 X doing that.. no answer.

Long rant.. I know.. hopefully it is the ‘quick’ solution with the XS/XSM.
Click to expand...


But it is not possible that they fall into a problem similar to last year's. We are talking about devices that cost more than 1000 $. If I change it, I risk that the new one gives me the same problem, so better to wait and I hope that with an update the problem will be resolved as soon as possible. Also because for the rest it works perfectly.
 
Miromiro said:
But it is not possible that they fall into a problem similar to last year's. We are talking about devices that cost more than 1000 $. If I change it, I risk that the new one gives me the same problem, so better to wait and I hope that with an update the problem will be resolved as soon as possible. Also because for the rest it works perfectly.
Click to expand...
Anything is possible. I’m not saying probable.
 
So no one here has exchanged their phone and got one that doesn't have this issue, correct? All Xs iphones have the problem, it just depends if the user can perceive the problem or not? The Max could have different/larger speakers so I don't think that model is effected
 
I have the issue on my XS when it comes to "talking". Speakerphone calls, podcasts and TV shows. I do not have this issue with Music. It seems to be a "deepness" issue. Low frequencies show make it more obvious.
 
rhaezorblue said:
So no one here has exchanged their phone and got one that doesn't have this issue, correct? All Xs iphones have the problem, it just depends if the user can perceive the problem or not? The Max could have different/larger speakers so I don't think that model is effected
Click to expand...


Changing it would be useless because, as I understand it, virtually all phones are affected. I spoke to a technician, who listened to my phone, told me that the audio is great and these distortions (normal for him) will probably be mitigated with future updates and that the speaker works well. Let's hope.
 
I scheduled a genius bar appointment for Friday, I'll let you know what they tell me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back