[Q] Sound cut out bug on low volumes?

Been asking for a fix for this issue for ages, I'm either being ignored or nobody has a fix, thus can't be fixed.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

Sadly there's no real solution to this annoying 'noise gate' problem, which I've noticed since ICS on every Stock or Custom Rom that I have tried on the N7000.
The issue is also discussed here: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=35861

For now, you only have two workaround options:
1. Get a pair of headphones with inline analog volume control. Crank up the volume on your device and lower it within the headphones.
2. Program a Tasker profile to play an inaudible sound that keeps the noise gate open (http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=35047527&postcount=25)

I've used option 2 before, but decided a few weeks ago to switch to 1 (with the Sennheiser CX 400-II).
Also I've noticed that the problem does not occur when streaming media audio via Bluetooth.

This is good advice, I have an inline seinheisser controls somewhere

Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

Audio dropout

Tesmond said:

I am experiencing the intensely annoying sound cut out bug. This appears to occur under the following circumstances

1. Headphones plugged in only (not speakers or blue tooth)
2. The phone volume is fairly low 1-3
3. Music / Video is playing and there is a quiet passage e.g. music fading out, whispering in a film, sharp drop in volume of a song

The effect is that rather than playing the sound the sound completely cuts out.

My current suspicion is that it is something like a headphone amplifier power saving measure. Essentially cutting off the sound amplification if the system believes just white noise / hiss is coming through the headphones.

I have tons of music that triggers this issue (only permanently up tempo music such as dance and most pop do not trigger this issue), I have tested in Cyanogen, PA & SlimBean. Others have reported this issue in Stock ICS.

Does anyone know if the current Stock Samsung has this issue or not, before I attempt to get support from Samsung who presumably have done all their audio testing with Gungam Style and therefore have managed to miss this massive issue?

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Hi - I have this problem too and so do many others.

To my ears, it sounds like there is a noise gate being used on the headphone output to mask off system noise at low levels. Noise gates will close when audio drops below a certain threshold and you can use them to eliminate background noise during periods of silence in music. However, in this instance, it shuts down during quiet passages - especially when listening to classical tracks with a wide dynamic range.

IF it is a noise gate, it is likely to be implemented in the hardware (doing it in firmware wouldn't mask noise generated by the phones circuitry - which is he whole point). Consequently, there might not be anything that can be done to resolve the problem. However, it is possible that the phones firmware configures the audio chip during boot-up. This being the case, an industrious programmer might be able to do a few tweaks and disable or modify the behaviour of the gate. I hope so because all my music is on my Galaxy Note and it is painful to listen to at times!

That's the real reason I am here: is there anyone on this forum who knows enough to be able to write a fix for this as it appears that Samsung aren't listening? Some people report this problem on the Note 2 as well.

A

Ahkatootin said:

Hi - I have this problem too and so do many others.

-snip -

Some people report this problem on the Note 2 as well.

A

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Click to collapse

Damn it -- sorry to hear that about the Note 2, as I was thinking of upgrading to that. Hopefully the Note 3 will have it fixed, or I just might have to go to the S4

Yes, this bugs me immensely -- it affects music with soft passages (classical) at any volume level, and of course is irritating when listening to music at night. What I'd like to do is to find or make a headset or cord that supports the microphone and includes an analog volume control.

My N7000 has also this problem with every kernel and rom I tried. With Android 2.3.6 and 4.0 it was only happening with the videos, but after 4.1, it happens with the music too. So I think it can be fixed by software (I mean actually fixed, not the inaudible sound solution).
It's very annoying, I bought the note fot its big screen, to watch videos and now I can't do it because the sound sucks. Also I can't lisent to music anymore in the night...

Solution for annoying noise suppression!

This seems to be the solution:
Start 'phone', go into settings, and disable 'noise suppression'!
Seems to be working...

There is a patch that fixes the problem for my N7000 with OmniROM:

github.com gustavoss android_kernel_samsung_smdk4412 commit 3019675d57c4046c30f82d04ce41913150df0d6e

(Sorry for the distorted link, as a new user I am not allowed to post links yet...)

The question is: How to get it into CM, OmniROM, and co.?

Also see:

jira.omnirom.org browse OMNI-561 ("Sound cuts off at low volume playback".



Kind regards

Clackwell