[LucasVictor#IM]

Hi there,
My wife and I just bought our new BB storms about 2 weeks ago. We switched from TMo to Verizon and were pleasantly surprised by the fact that verizon offered a 30 day risk free trial. It is my first blackberry and my wife has had her Pearl for a little over 2 years. Anyways, to cut a long story short, from the very first day, I had been having some really serious issues with phone's call quality. Others complained that they could not hear me properly and I had trouble hearing them as well.
I replaced two phones and now I am on to my third. Needles to say, I tried everything in the book, from using options --> enhance voice quality, making sure that mic is not blocked and taking those plastic covers off. i also went thru a lot of informations on sites like this one and a few others and still nothing.
and just 2 days ago, when i was almost making up mind to return it for once and for all and switch to att for an iphone (i know that would have sucked), i realized that I had a workaround to that crappy voice quality. What I ended up doing was pulling my battery out, waiting 10-15 sec, putting it back in and then immediately making a test call to friends. At this time, the quality was very good but somehow with time, it degrades. I don't know why. May be it has something to do with memory (starts at 40MB and then goes down to about 20MB). whatever the case is, i realized that if i pull the battery out once a day or so, I am good.
Of course, this is not a sophisticated solution at all and it still sucks to do it every day but I guess I can live with it.
Try it and let me know if it works for anybody else.

[rip14]

I have not had any issues with call quality. What OS version are you running?

[LucasVictor#IM]

I am on the official version as of now and as i mentioned i have already replaced two phones so i doubt whether it is specific to one particular piece.

[s1ck james]

The same thing happens to me but it started when i installed third party apps. i dont know if it is the cause for sure though

[LucasVictor#IM]

i think you nailed it on the head. it happened to me as well the moment in download apps like CNN, AP news etc. after battery pull, however, the calls are much better.
i am also looking at some other posts in this forum that point to memory cleaner or another third party app called logimaid that is supposed to free some memory up. i have just enabled memory cleaner. let's see if that resolves this issue.
i am also hoping that the subsequent versions of firmware will resolve this issue.

[xxraffyxx]

This problem needs to be fixed! My theory is the Noise isolation feature is faulty. The phone has two built in mics one to pick up your voice and another located on the top of the phone to pick up background noise. In a silent room the top mic "thinks" your voice is the background and then cancels your voice out.

To test this out when someone is complaining how you sound put the phone to speaker and ask them if you sound better. When in speaker mode the phone turns of the noise cancellation feature.

[xxraffyxx]

Not trying to shut down this thread, but this IS a big problem with the phone. Check out these people are also having the same problem Send [email protected] an email if you have this problem and request they fix this problem. In the least give us an option to turn of noise cancellation.

http://forums.crackberry.com/f133/ph...-storm-133225/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/sto...ophone-132088/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/sto...ophone-132088/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/low...-fixes-108295/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/pho...ustable-99100/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/mic...-storm-129861/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/mic...-sucks-115158/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/sto...ophone-132088/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/bad...n-call-135358/

http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/no-...ear-me-106365/

[joshuasmaximus]

I was having severe voice quality issues even after batt pulls. I have deleted a bunch of apps and my memory is at about 37 (dropping slowly). When my mem is above 34 the call quality is ok (not as good as my pearl or curve).

Looks like a software issue to me.

[dayzofkonfuzion]

Luckily, I've never had issues with call quality and I find it really weird that so many people are.

[hipmrc]

I am waiting for my replacement phone and hoping ... I cannot have a single call where the person does not complain about their ability to hear me. And I sell communications products!

I LOVE everything about the Storm except the one thing I need it for most! Just sent an email to RIM at the link below.

HIPMRC

[zazzified]

OP, try downloading Soft Reset. It's a free program and at least that way you don't have to physically remove the battery.

[RogueAgent]

Call verizon. They replaced mine after hearing how muffled I was. New one sounds great.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[xxraffyxx]

Call verizon. They replaced mine after hearing how muffled I was. New one sounds great.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

This is my 3rd phone all of them have had the same problem.

[MegaBit]

Try some test calls to someone on a wired landline in these 4 configurations and see which works best:

1) Normal handset mode in a quiet room
2) Speakerphone mode in the same setting as #1
3) Wired or wireless headset in the same setting as #1
4) Normal handset mode in a setting with reasonable background noise

I'll be willing to bet that all tests except situation (1) provide decent call quality. Reason? Noise cancellation, active in "normal mode" totally and completely sucks on the 9530 Storm. They have botched the software and it clips your voice waveform enough to distort it. The other modes do not use active noise cancellation (unless you have a noise canceling Bluetooth headset).

[akira751#CB]

Luckily, I've never had issues with call quality and I find it really weird that so many people are.

+1 No issues.

[buxleyp]

+1 No issues.

My personal Storm plus two others I tried at the local VZW store all sound the same: crappy, compressed-to-****.

For those that say they have no issues, have you compared the earpiece quality to a "good" sounding phone like the Motorola 815 or Q9h?

[Billmanvl]

This reason and the keyboard that can never be as fast as my two thumbs are why I sent mine and my employee's back. Oh, and the crappy SMS application didn't help it's case either.

Beyond those three things, I actually liked it.

[akira751#CB]

My personal Storm plus two others I tried at the local VZW store all sound the same: crappy, compressed-to-****.

For those that say they have no issues, have you compared the earpiece quality to a "good" sounding phone like the Motorola 815 or Q9h?

Yes I have, I used to have a 815. There are a couple more storm users a my job and they have great sound quality.

[ccb4life]

While it is true that the STORM has some issues with its release (a little more than the iphone - and yes I have owned both versions), I would think that Blackberry has tightened the build quality and I am sure Verizon will be addressing any shortcomings they have.

I think quality updates are just a few months away and the app center will help. Verizon will tweak their networks if necessary. Have patience, and if you need to, get a replacement.

[sho95]

Yes I have, I used to have a 815. There are a couple more storm users a my job and they have great sound quality.

Same here and still think my storm sounds better than my OLD 815.

[Tricky4]

Mine has gone back twice now, takes three repairs before they actually replace it. Last time they said they just reinstalled the firmware and at first it did seem better. Interesting to read about people getting an improvement after popping the battery. Only thing that would conflict with that for me is that speaker-phone and my cars hands-free don't have the voice quality issue. Maybe MegaBit's assessment rings true.

[jradaj]

I wonder if it might have something to do with specific 3rd party apps that are trying to pull data at the same time as a call is occurring. Since CDMA doesn't allow voice and data together, maybe there's some issue being created in the network connection here?

[xxraffyxx]

Try some test calls to someone on a wired landline in these 4 configurations and see which works best:

1) Normal handset mode in a quiet room
2) Speakerphone mode in the same setting as #1
3) Wired or wireless headset in the same setting as #1
4) Normal handset mode in a setting with reasonable background noise

I'll be willing to bet that all tests except situation (1) provide decent call quality. Reason? Noise cancellation, active in "normal mode" totally and completely sucks on the 9530 Storm. They have botched the software and it clips your voice waveform enough to distort it. The other modes do not use active noise cancellation (unless you have a noise canceling Bluetooth headset).

This!!!!!! is the only reason that makes sense.

Test it out in a quiet room.

[tucker_dahlin]

Ive followed Crackberry for a while but just realized this is my first post. Are you guys talking about poor quality in your earpiece or the fact that you sound bad to others? I havent had many complaints from others but I can barely understand what people are saying when Im on a call. The quality is TERRIBLE! Sounds very muffled, as if they are talking through a pillow. Ive never been on ANY phone that sounded this bad. I'm having click issues and need to replace the phone anyway but is sound quality likely to be better when replaced?

[nneptune#CB]

I swear this helped me:
push green call button>options on the menu>general options>find Enhance Handset Call Audio>Boost Treble.

The calls coming in sound MUCH better, and nobody can tell if I'm on my home phone (which is well-made) or the Storm.
Or it could have just been luck.