[Andorion]

Hi all,

I recently got a 9800 and noticed the speakerphone and phone volume were low, but after a full day of searching on the net found mixed reports, and many people reporting the sound was "just fine". We have a half-dozen other 9800s at my company, and one 9810 that I was able to test with, and I have definitive proof that there is an issue with these phones, and would like you all to help by testing your phones to see if you have the same issue.

Here are the steps you follow to determine if your phone is defective:

1) Go to "Options"
2) From "Options", go to "Device"
3) From "Device", go to "Device and Status Information"
4) (with the keyboard open) press the following keys: "t" "e" "s" "t"
5) Press "OK"
6) Press the Menu button and choose "Start"
7) Select "No"
8) Put a check-mark next to "Handset Audio"
9) Press the Menu button and choose "Run"

Now you're at the "Handset Speaker Test", hold the phone up to your ear and:

10) Press the Red or Green button, and you should hear a tone. Repeat this five times, and you should hear five different tones, each increasing in pitch but at the same volume.
11) Press the middle (scroll) button and select "Next" (note that pressing Menu just plays the tone.)
12) Click "Yes", then "Yes" or "No" to indicate if the test passed (type in an explanation if the test did not pass)

Now you're at the "Handsfree Speaker Test", place the phone on a table top and:

13) Press the Red or Green button, and you should hear a tone. Repeat this five times, and you should hear five different tones, each increasing in pitch but at the same volume.
14) Press the middle (scroll) button and select "Next" (note that pressing Menu just plays the tone.)
15) Click "Yes", then "Yes" or "No" to indicate if the test passed (type in an explanation if the test did not pass)

You can either perform the next test or Skip it, the two above are the important ones.

On all four 9800s and one 9810 I've tested, the first two tones of the "Handsfree Speaker Test" are very muffled and low volume, and I believe I also had the same result on the "Handset Speaker Test" on one device but it has since improved, so I'm not sure if that suggests there isn't a physical defect but some connection/other issue.

Can anyone with a 9800 or 9810 please perform these tests - especially the "Handsfree Speaker Test" - and post your results? Are all the 9800s and 9810s like this due to the speaker design, or are there some "bad eggs"?

Thanks!

[AugustArborists]

9810 wearing an Endo case. worked perfectly, sounded great. 2 naked 9800's a little bit muffled on lowest speaker tone, still heard without difficulty. All 3 pass to my old and tired ears.

[Elite1]

From the speaker placement you'll also find the handsfree speaker sounds different with the slider open vs. closed. Lay it on the table, play a song, play portions with slider open and closed.

What does it all mean?!?

My conclusion: It's a phone! When I want great sound I'll listen to the speakers connected to my Yamaha receiver at home.

[Andorion]

From the speaker placement you'll also find the handsfree speaker sounds different with the slider open vs. closed. Lay it on the table, play a song, play portions with slider open and closed.

What does it all mean?!?

My conclusion: It's a phone! When I want great sound I'll listen to the speakers connected to my Yamaha receiver at home.

I don't want symphony sound, but the very first time I tried to use the speakerphone on my 9800 I noticed that even with the volume all the way up the person on the other end was unintelligible - less than half as long as the 9700 which I had just replaced. Only after digging around a bit did I discover what I posted above, and honestly I feel this weak speakerphone performance is such a big issue it's almost a deal-breaker for anyone who often uses their speakerphone (for example, for impromptu group meetings at work when no telcon is available.)

[Elite1]

No fair enough... I was being a little sarcastic...

It might very well be a flaw, or more correctly a shortcoming, with the 9800.

Whether it is or not, it might be interesting to figure this out, but it's sort of moot now that it's been succeeded by the 9810.