[BurningPlatform]

Some time ago, my Passport has developed an issue that out of a sudden it produces an EAR PIERCING siren-like sound, starting from relatively low frequencies and going higher and higher to very high pitch and extreme loudness that you wouldn't imagine that such a small device can produce such a loud and piercing sound until you witness it. My home security system's huge siren is less annoying... My wife could hear it from downstairs, through the walls, with two doors closed, and she rushed upstairs to see what's going on.

It's a rare problem but it happened to a few other people as well - see thread 1, thread 2.

It only happened some 3-4 times during 2 years so far, and each time it was while it was playing some online (streamed) video from youtube, in Bedside mode, with the screen turned off (I usually listen this way to some online content when I fall asleep). Every time it happened, it woke me up within milliseconds. The sound lasts about one minute or so and nothing can interrput it, even rebooting the device doesn't help much as it continues until the system fully shuts down and reboots, which takes about as long as the sound lasts anyway.

After those previous 2-3 times nothing wrong happened and the device was perfectly fine after rebooting.

But the last time, two days ago, that sound literally damaged the left speaker. Since then it's been producing distorted sound and crackling. Clearly, something inside of it got broken.

I already ordered a new speaker for replacement (very easy) but there's no guarantee that it won't happen again and eventually destroy that new speaker, too....

P.S. No, it's not the BlackBerry Protect sound to find a lost phone. This ear-piercing siren sound is MANY TIMES louder, almost unbearable. I'm not sure if any other device that I've ever owned produced such a loud and high pitch sound. If it happened while holding the phone to one's face (e.g. during phone conversation) it would blow your ears. I'm starting to be afraid to use this dangerous device.

So, Passport users, beware. Your Passport can damage its own speakers anytime. And, in the very best case, that sound can make you sh*t your pants, or if you're less lucky and you happen to hold the phone close to your ears at that time, it could blow your ears.

HONESTLY. This is not a joke. You've been warned.

[brookie229]

Some time ago, my Passport has developed an issue that out of a sudden it produces an EAR PIERCING siren-like sound, starting from relatively low frequencies and going higher and higher to very high pitch and extreme loudness that you wouldn't imagine that such a small device can produce such a loud and piercing sound until you witness it. My home security system's huge siren is less annoying... My wife could hear it from downstairs, through the walls, with two doors closed, and she rushed upstairs to see what's going on.

It's a rare problem but it happened to a few other people as well - see thread 1, thread 2.

It only happened some 3-4 times during 2 years so far, and each time it was while it was playing some online (streamed) video from youtube, in Bedside mode, with the screen turned off (I usually listen this way to some online content when I fall asleep). Every time it happened, it woke me up within milliseconds. The sound lasts about one minute or so and nothing can interrput it, even rebooting the device doesn't help much as it continues until the system fully shuts down and reboots, which takes about as long as the sound lasts anyway.

After those previous 2-3 times nothing wrong happened and the device was perfectly fine after rebooting.

But the last time, two days ago, that sound literally damaged the left speaker. Since then it's been producing distorted sound and crackling. Clearly, something inside of it got broken.

I already ordered a new speaker for replacement (very easy) but there's no guarantee that it won't happen again and eventually destroy that new speaker, too....

P.S. No, it's not the BlackBerry Protect sound to find a lost phone. This ear-piercing siren sound is MANY TIMES louder, almost unbearable. I'm not sure if any other device that I've ever owned produced such a loud and high pitch sound. If it happened while holding the phone to one's face (e.g. during phone conversation) it would blow your ears. I'm starting to be afraid to use this dangerous device.

So, Passport users, beware. Your Passport can damage its own speakers anytime. And, in the very best case, that sound can make you sh*t your pants, or if you're less lucky and you happen to hold the phone close to your ears at that time, it could blow your ears.

HONESTLY. This is not a joke. You've been warned.

Wild!

[BurningPlatform]

Yeah. And quite scary. Previously I was ignoring it because it only happened twice in 12 months, i.e. once every 6 months or so. But recently it happened twice within 2 weeks or so, and the last time resulted in a broken speaker.

I have no idea if it is a software (OS) or hardware fault but it's really unacceptable. Clearly, the speakers aren't electronically protected against producing dangerous sound levels, which they're clearly fully capable of.

[brookie229]

I have no idea if it is a software (OS) or hardware fault

Software can't cause this. Gotta be a hardware fault imho.

[BurningPlatform]

Software can't cause this. Gotta be a hardware fault imho.

It happens only during video playback. Four times so far, and each time while playing back a video. So it doesn't look like a hardware fault but more likely a software issue - e.g. a broken audio or video codec or buggy video playback code. One of the guys who also experienced it (see the two threads I listed) also had it during a streamed video playback...

Other than this strange thing (and double typing since upgrading to the last OS) my Passport has been working PERFECTLY fine, no other problems whatsoever. Rock stable.

[brookie229]

It happens only during video playback. Four times so far, and each time while playing back a video. So it doesn't look like a hardware fault but more likely a software issue - e.g. a broken audio or video codec or buggy video playback code. One of the guys who also experienced it (see the two threads I listed) also had it during a streamed video playback...

You could play back using a 3rd party app such as Star Player.

[BurningPlatform]

You could play back using a 3rd party app such as Star Player.

The actual playback engine and codecs are the OS ones regardless of software, I'm afraid.

[brookie229]

The actual playback engine and codecs are the OS ones regardless of software, I'm afraid.

Yeah, I realized that soon after I replied

[brookie229]

The actual playback engine and codecs are the OS ones regardless of software, I'm afraid.

You are the dev and certainly know more about this than I, but isn't the codec run by a hardware encoder or dedicated processor? That hardware can certainly degrade over time, no?

[brookie229]

If the problem was a software glitch or bug, why wouldn't there be huge numbers of people having problems? I'm not sure which OS you are using but we just have not heard of mass problems with ANY of them.

[BurningPlatform]

Indeed, only a few people reported it so far. But it doesn't explain anything. If it was a hardware fault, eg. some degraded component, it would happen to more that a few persons, too. To me it looks like a reaction to some rare, very specific conditions, like a specific byte stream in a video or audio content to be decoded, or maybe a broken (in some very specific way) video frame or audio stream, etc.

I use my Passport all the time and I do an awful lot of things with it. Nothing else has ever triggered that phenomenon - neither playing lots of local videos stored on memory card, nor playing local mp3's, nor anything else. Only streaming videos from YouTube, and only when the device was in Bedside Mode and with screen turned off, which probably means power saving (I have it enabled for Bedside Mode in its settings).

[zer0ten]

Regardless of the problem, it's cool to see that one of the GOAT BB10 Devs is still rocking the Passport. Respect. Here's hoping I never trigger those conditions. Very strange.

Posted via CB10

[brookie229]

Only streaming videos from YouTube

Maybe quit doing that!

[BurningPlatform]

@zer0ten, thank you! Yeah, other than this awful thing I still enjoy my Passport and still cannot find any proper replacement for it. Even the battery after 2 years still lasts 2 days...

@brookie229, I'll give it another chance with the new speaker which should arrive today (salvaged from some exposition unit, costed $2.50 ). Maybe it was something wrong with the speaker itself.... No idea....

[brookie229]

@zer0ten, thank you! Yeah, other than this awful thing I still enjoy my Passport and still cannot find any proper replacement for it. Even the battery after 2 years still lasts 2 days...

@brookie229, I'll give it another chance with the new speaker which should arrive today (salvaged from some exposition unit, costed $2.50 ). Maybe it was something wrong with the speaker itself.... No idea....

Good Luck with your replacement.....hope it's just the speaker.

Please keep us updated BP!

[elfabio80]

Even on the Q10 of my girlfriend is happening the same. Specifically when she is visiting a website and automatically a video starts (advertisment). This happens to her with 'die welt' website, or Der Spiegel website.

Posted via CB10

[BurningPlatform]

Thanks for reporting it! So if it happens on the Q10 too, and also when watching a streamed video, then it must be a buggy video player or broken codec...

Let's see how long the new speaker will survive...

[BurningPlatform]

New speaker arrived and already replaced. Works like new. Hopefully it'll stay that way and another siren attack won't destroy that one too. Total cost of new speaker $2.50 . Total replacement time 3 minutes. Passport definitely is one of the easiest to repair devices ever made.

[Livermore]

I've heard about this before, and it sounds awful. I hope my PPSE never gets this sickness.

Posted via CB10