[TLD1]

Ok, all BS aside...has the recent Verizon SW update really, really, really, really improved significantly the handset earpiece volume of the Z30? My hearing in my right "phone ear" (and...please don't tell me to "switch ears"!) is subpar due to a sports injury, and I generally have to have a pretty loud speaker volume to hear especially outdoors or in a noisy environment.

I really like the Z30, and came within a hair of picking one up yesterday at my local VZW store...but then I remembered the threads here and elsewhere that say the volume is very light to totally unusable in noisy environments. I know volume is the most personally subjective thing around, but how is it. really?

Should I wait...or take the plunge?

[SmileDahling]

The official update for Z30 isn't coming for a few days but based using the .1925 leak it's marginally better (and even better if you change the settings to "treble boost" - this is in the phone applications settings, not the more general settings app).

I highly recommend you go to your Verizon store and see if they'll let you somehow make a phone call to test the earpiece volume. Volume is so subjective and it's hard to say whether or not you'll be satisfied with it. I have subpar hearing in my *left* ear so I feel mostly spared because my right ear is good but you might not feel the volume is up to your standards.

[ralfyguy]

I'm having the same hearing issues. I gave a Z10 and it is plenty loud for me to run it on 80%. How do the two phones compare?
For me after all it is still a phone...

Posted via CB10

[TLD1]

I'm having the same hearing issues. I gave a Z10 and it is plenty loud for me to run it on 80%. How do the two phones compare?
For me after all it is still a phone...

Posted via CB10

When all the hype smoke clears, it IS still a phone, no matter all the toys & bells you tack on it. I like my iPhone 5...I really do, but I would have never bought it in the first place if the earpiece volume wasn't up to par. The Z10 was pretty good...but the screen size didn't make it worth jumping ship. If the Z30 is worthless outdoors or in a noisy environment...it's worthless to me, no matter how great the screen and all the multimedia toys are.

I hope that BlackBerry can improve this weakness soon, if it really isn't a hardware issue.

[yvpan1]

since the 10.2.1 update, with the new & updated phone app, yeah, the earpiece volume has increased. previously i felt the earpiece volume was just like 60-70% of that in the Z/Q10, particularly in a busy environment i sometimes had troubles hearing the other end but now, even at 80-90% i can feel i'm comfy enough to talk but i normally just put it at 100% at all times and i set the Treble Boost.

louder, crisper, but still as clear as before.

[ralfyguy]

I will never understand what is so hard to make the phones have a decent earpiece volume. It IS a PHONE after all.
There is nothing wrong with making the Z30 have the same performance as the Z10.
I always try phone call quality before I decide about a new phone first. If I can't hear the other side with ease, I don't care about the thing...

Posted via CB10

[TLD1]

I will never understand what is so hard to make the phones have a decent earpiece volume. It IS a PHONE after all.
There is nothing wrong with making the Z30 have the same performance as the Z10.
I always try phone call quality before I decide about a new phone first. If I can't hear the other side with ease, I don't care about the thing...

Posted via CB10

I think it has a lot to do with manufacturers being scared s***less of litigation by some clown claiming ear damage because of a too-loud handset speaker. Because of that, we are stripped of the right to set the volume that's hear able for us. Now, BlackBerry tells you how loud you can have your phone!

[b121]

I just found this thread, because I have this complaint on my 2 day old z30. I'm running the 10.2.1.1925 leak, and it's not loud enough. I keep looking for the dumb warning message I used to get on my z10, but don't see it. I'll like BBRY to allow me to decide how loud I want my audio.

Per the message above, I'll try to boost the treble. Thanks!

Posted via CB10 (7250 -> 8703e -> 9530 -> 9550 -> 9650 -> 9930 -> PlayBook -> Z10 -> Z30)

[TLD1]

I just found this thread, because I have this complaint on my 2 day old z30. I'm running the 10.2.1.1925 leak, and it's not loud enough. I keep looking for the dumb warning message I used to get on my z10, but don't see it. I'll like BBRY to allow me to decide how loud I want my audio.

Per the message above, I'll try to boost the treble. Thanks!

Posted via CB10 (7250 -> 8703e -> 9530 -> 9550 -> 9650 -> 9930 -> PlayBook -> Z10 -> Z30)

Let us know how much the treble boost helps the volume in the earpiece!

[heading4tomorrow]

I have to push my Z30 to my ear to get a nice seal before I can hear other side properly out on the street. The volume on stock Z30 is low.
If you are using a case that makes matters worse by putting more gap due to the lip on the edges of the phone and with ear piece being very close to the top edge.

[Frank Pastorello]

I also have a Blackberry Z30 and have had low incall volume issues from day 1. BB support is a joke. Wont even waste my time further on them. Their thoughts.".We know we have low incall volume issues on the Z30.And do you really expect us to do something about it?"Trust me,I can go on forever with their **** poor attitudes.
Did the recent 10.2.1.537 update really help the incall volume to any avail? I havent recieved much help fron VZW to an extent either. Seems to me that they simply could care less bout the Blackberry phones.If the update above was available January 28,2014, then its now 10 days later and I still dont have it, cant get an answer as to when Ill get it ("We dont want to crash our servers")and seems like their is no "umph" to push further about it.And yet VZW at the moment is the only US carrier carrying the phone yet it looks like they could care less supporting it. Let me mention Ive done, soft resets, hard resets, increased the treble and / or bass. You name it Ive done it.Its a software issue and I have a $600.00 brick-second one in three weeks.Ive been a Blackberry user for 15 plus years.I held back to consider after hearing all the problems with Blackberry recently.Yet I took the jump as a leap of faith believing in Blackberry.All I want and ask for is reasonable incall volume so I can hear the people on the other end.Its to low.I believed.SHAME ON ME!

[TLD1]

I'm getting a Z30 to test in real-life from a trusting CB member, who knows I have hearing issues and is willing to ship to me first so I can do a test on the volume level before I give up my iPhone to him. I will activate it, and try it. If I can hear it as well as my iPhone 5 (which is at tolerable at the very best), I'll be coming back to BlackBerry at least for a while. If the stories I hear are right, and I can't hear in my daily conditions...it goes back, and I'll kick BB to the curb once again, and this time I won't look back! I'll have it by middle of next week. We'll see...

[ralfyguy]

Well if it's that bad, then I'll stick with my Z10. I need to make phone calls with my phone.

Posted via CB10

[xdan504x]

I'm on Verizon with the new 10.2.1 leak. I plan on updating on the 10th. When verizon releases their update (hopefully).

I just tested the treble boost and the bass boost in comparison to the default volume. The bass boost didnt really make a difference. However, it seems like the treble boost changed the earpiece output by about 20%. Definitely usable in a loud environment. I just tested it in a hotel lobby full of people and lobby music. I could hear everything just fine.


Posted via CB10

[heading4tomorrow]

Well if it's that bad, then I'll stick with my Z10. I need to make phone calls with my phone.

Posted via CB10

It's not that bad, it's just not as loud as any other phone I used before.
At least you never have to move your phone away from ear when wife is yelling!

[ralfyguy]

Well my Z10 is just good enough for my bad hearing. I would not want it any lower.

Posted via CB10

[harp666]

The treble boost option in the phone menu helped alot, did not know the option was there..thanks to this useful forum now I do!

[TLD1]

It's not that bad, it's just not as loud as any other phone I used before.
At least you never have to move your phone away from ear when wife is yelling!

"It doesn't really suck...it just sucks compared to any other phone I've ever used before!"

Cool.

[heading4tomorrow]

"It doesn't really suck...it just sucks compared to any other phone I've ever used before!"

Cool.

I said "Loud" not sucks. So it is not as loud as them, but yeah I wish it was louder, compared to the sounds of those speakerphones, the earpiece is quiet.

God I miss my 9900

[Coryj100]

My experience with the update is positive improvement with caller volume.
I found my caller volume to low, never had an issue with notification alerts, ring tone basically media volume was loud enough.
My caller volume was always at 100 % with the treble boost. It's was ok but no room to increase if in a noisy environment.
Now I have a little room seems I can be around 70% and is plenty loud.

Posted via CB10

[TLD1]

I said "Loud" not sucks. So it is not as loud as them, but yeah I wish it was louder, compared to the sounds of those speakerphones, the earpiece is quiet.

God I miss my 9900

I was just playin', man. I'm looking forward to getting the Z30 just to see for myself. Volume s extremely subjective and what's too low for some, might be acceptable for others. It does seem that the max volume level of BlackBerry devices has been dwindling since I had my 9900 as well. The earpiece from my 8300/8310 Curves all the way to my 9900 were dang near perfect. What happened?

[heading4tomorrow]

I was just playin', man. I'm looking forward to getting the Z30 just to see for myself. Volume s extremely subjective and what's too low for some, might be acceptable for others. It does seem that the max volume level of BlackBerry devices has been dwindling since I had my 9900 as well. The earpiece from my 8300/8310 Curves all the way to my 9900 were dang near perfect. What happened?

I know, I know..
But I praise myself for having good hearing. So If I find Z30 earpiece low, someone with normal hearing might find it even lower.
We'll see what happens when we get the new OS update.

[heading4tomorrow]

since the 10.2.1 update, with the new & updated phone app, yeah, the earpiece volume has increased. previously i felt the earpiece volume was just like 60-70% of that in the Z/Q10, particularly in a busy environment i sometimes had troubles hearing the other end but now, even at 80-90% i can feel i'm comfy enough to talk but i normally just put it at 100% at all times and i set the Treble Boost.

louder, crisper, but still as clear as before.

I have no options in-call. I remember there were a lot of options in BB7 OS while in call, but I have nothing. Where do you access Treble Boost while in a call? I know you can access the settings by swipe down when you are not on a call, but for some reason I cannot access settings in call?

And to answer the OP, after 10.2.1 update, I hear no difference in earpiece volume. It is still low and I have to push the phone into my hear to get a good seal then if sounds amplified.
Why can't we turn it up higher?

[ralfyguy]

I have no options in-call. I remember there were a lot of options in BB7 OS while in call, but I have nothing. Where do you access Treble Boost while in a call? I know you can access the settings by swipe down when you are not on a call, but for some reason I cannot access settings in call?

And to answer the OP, after 10.2.1 update, I hear no difference in earpiece volume. It is still low and I have to push the phone into my hear to get a good seal then if sounds amplified.
Why can't we turn it up higher?

I remember even on my 9810 that came with the stock AT&T OS, it had an option for AUTO VOLUME CORRECT and it worked like a charm in noisy environments. I remember it adjusted the volume according to your surroundings.
Then came an update and the option vanished and I have never seen it on a BlackBerry again.
Why did they take such a useful excellent working option away???

Posted via CB10

[SmileDahling]

I have no options in-call. I remember there were a lot of options in BB7 OS while in call, but I have nothing. Where do you access Treble Boost while in a call? I know you can access the settings by swipe down when you are not on a call, but for some reason I cannot access settings in call?

And to answer the OP, after 10.2.1 update, I hear no difference in earpiece volume. It is still low and I have to push the phone into my hear to get a good seal then if sounds amplified.
Why can't we turn it up higher?

Treble boost video - only 10 seconds.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gwpvmxnb70...212_194044.mp4

Posted via CB10