Permanently Fix SGS2 Echo and Digital Noise Reduction/Cancellation Problems

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toxicdust

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2009
491
457
Centurion
didn't work. i tried several times. am i missing something?

Maybe... Did you remove the top speaker as indicated and cleaned out the housing. There could be some residual dirt in there that's causing the speaker to not seat well. Also the NC mic at the top close to the speaker's rubber housing should be seated properly.

If none of the above worked then I would actually love to get your phone to see what your problem is. You could PM me and I will give you my Skype if needed and you could send me some pics of your internals and could check if there is something done wrong ect ect :)
 
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barryyam

Member
Feb 5, 2011
41
0
i have unscrewed all the 7 screw, cannot open the back cover. can you give me more details how to do it?
 

barryyam

Member
Feb 5, 2011
41
0
the picture doesnt show detail how to open it. i been trying for the past 3 days, still no go. i am afriad using too much presure will chips the edge.
 

toxicdust

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2009
491
457
Centurion
the picture doesnt show detail how to open it. i been trying for the past 3 days, still no go. i am afriad using too much presure will chips the edge.

That's exactly how i felt the 1st time opening it :p

You wont chip the edges. I used my nails to open it and applied a lot of force to the point where it feels your nail will rip off and then all of a sudden POP and its open on one edge. Then all you have to do it pop it only one side and then it comes off easy.

The 1st time getting it off is the hardest. After that it becomes easier. Besides that look again at my 1st post and just follow the 1-6.
 

Jon_67

New member
Mar 4, 2012
2
0
Echo issue

I found putting a piece of card under the back of the top earpiece speaker didn't work as card conducts sound. I cut a piece of white foam wrapping,folded it double and it worked perfectly as foam does not conduct sound throught it to the back case. The white wrapping foam is the type you find most electrical items wrapped in and is widely used.
It is obvious the fault on my phone was due to the earpiece speaker pressing on the hard plastic back case and transmitting the sound through the case to the mic at the bottom causing an echo.
My S2 is now fine at max speaker volume with either a gel case or genuine Samsung mesh one. Both caused a considerable echo previously which is now totally gone.
 
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jgel

New member
Mar 7, 2012
1
0
The Hague
The role of the cover

Hi!

Thank you for your time.

I have the echo problem only when I use a cover and the volume is set at or near the maximum.

Without a cover and/or at mid volume, I do not have any echo problem.

Did you test your modified Galaxy S2 at maximum volume (and low background noise) with a cover?

Thank you very much.

Jacques
 

_sem_

Member
Dec 9, 2011
28
3
the picture doesnt show detail how to open it. i been trying for the past 3 days, still no go. i am afriad using too much presure will chips the edge.
A medium-thick guitar pick is a good tool. Thinner bank-or-such cards work too; perhaps use a knife to make the edge thinner. Proceed gently. Mind not mess around the volume and power side buttons.

which area to open first?
Best to get the sgs2 service manual and follow the instructions. It shows the exact positions of the clips. AFAIK with the display facing down start at top-left corner and proceed in the anti-clockwise direction. Reassembly order is different (top-left-right-down).

I found putting a piece of card under the back of the top earpiece speaker didn't work as card conducts sound. I cut a piece of white foam wrapping,folded it double and it worked perfectly as foam does not conduct sound throught it to the back case. The white wrapping foam is the type you find most electrical items wrapped in and is widely used.
It is obvious the fault on my phone was due to the earpiece speaker pressing on the hard plastic back case and transmitting the sound through the case to the mic at the bottom causing an echo.
I agree a suitable foam should act better as sound insulator.
I find it odd that such sound transmission occurs and that it gets amplified by external cases, but it obviously does. I found nothing odd below the speaker (but I did scratch the speaker while pulling it out - carefully!). The thin circular sticker (number 17 on top) is the only thing Samsung puts there, mine had visible pressure marks made by the back of the case. Maybe the main cause in my case was the squished rubber on the bottom mic which should reduce the transmission from the case to the mic.

Hi!
I have the echo problem only when I use a cover and the volume is set at or near the maximum.
Without a cover and/or at mid volume, I do not have any echo problem.
Did you test your modified Galaxy S2 at maximum volume (and low background noise) with a cover?
The problem comes in different magnitudes. My phone was originally next to unusable, full echo with case, some echo without (max volume). My friend's was affected but not as much, a bit of echo with case.

Btw I think there are other possible causes of echo (firmware, network...?) because I still get the echo problem now and then, although there is no more echo most of the time and the folks that hear themselves echoing generally don't have such problems. Toggling noise cancellation during the call usually helped when the problem occurred; once it would not but the echo disappeared after I hung up and called again.
 
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toxicdust

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2009
491
457
Centurion
Nice reply sem

Some of the echo could be from the network BUT then it will be in both directions. The relay that you pass through with the call sitting in between would be the problem but like I said then both of you would experience the echo.
 

starfarer

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2006
327
24
London
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Thank guys. Finally done. Dying to do this for loooong time but 4 of the screws were "slipped".

First thing I noticed was that top rubber housing was not seated properly on mic. In fact it fell off on opening! And what a PITA to put that thing on. Took me a while to figure that out after removing the one from the bottom. And I've also gone with the foam.

Done few tests myself on other phone and definitely it's improved by miles. No sign of echo so far. Always been disappointed by voice call sounds on gs2 and hopefully this has been sorted now. I'll know if in 2days time, I don't have to repeat myself :).

One other improvement: before mod, during dialling tone or while in call, I could feel the vibration on back cover. Not any more. Not even the slightest one.

A happy reader here!
 

ultratwist

New member
Mar 11, 2012
1
0
works!

Thank you so much!
I left my speaker like it is because it seemed to be hard to remove and I was afraid to break something. So I just left a piece of thick paper on it and this absolutely did the trick!
Sound is better than ever, all echoes are completely gone, even with my casemate-pop!
You made my day!
:D
 

vitsa

Member
Oct 11, 2011
17
13
Please someone test video recording, seems after applying this upgrade :) to my phone, something went wrong with microphone sound during recording the video, if the sound little but more loudly than usual, there become some interrupted

Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
 

toxicdust

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2009
491
457
Centurion
Please someone test video recording, seems after applying this upgrade :) to my phone, something went wrong with microphone sound during recording the video, if the sound little but more loudly than usual, there become some interrupted

Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Not having that problem at all. I dunno what that would relate to but once everything is correctly seated you should not have any problems like that.

That might be related to Firmware
 

00007

New member
Mar 13, 2012
2
1
First I want to thank you for this nice topic.
My S2 causes an echo (at the other side) only by using a silicon case - I have tried to widen both microphone holes without any success.
That´s the reason why I wanted to try your solution.

After removing the screws I tried to unclip the back and front cover but it was so difficult to do that I stopped because I did not want to destroy anything.

I used a plastic card without success, I also carefully tried a small screwdriver.
Normally I am good in repairing - I am a technician - but this step is not really clear to me (I never opened a smartphone for doing a repair before).

Could you please be so kind and give me a detailed instruction how to to unclip my back and front cover from one another withoput breaking anything?

Thank you in advance.
 
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_sem_

Member
Dec 9, 2011
28
3
First I want to thank you for this nice topic.
After removing the screws I tried to unclip the back and front cover but it was so difficult to do that I stopped because I did not want to destroy anything.

I used a plastic card without success, I also carefully tried a small screwdriver.
Normally I am good in repairing - I am a technician - but this step is not really clear to me (I never opened a smartphone for doing a repair before).

Could you please be so kind and give me a detailed instruction how to to unclip my back and front cover from one another withoput breaking anything?

These are clips like many others in such devices. I guess they could break if mishandled, and a screwdriver could definitely leave marks. An old credit card worked for me, a medium guitar pick too. Must be thin enough to get it into the gap and thick enough not to bend when you twist it slightly to release the clips. Try to sharpen the edge of the card if you can't get it in the gap, or find something a bit thinner. Guitar pics are available in many thicknesses.
Start at the corner and then push it deeper towards the clip position marked in the service manual (which can be googled up on the net), then twist carefully.
 

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  • 56
    Hi All

    I spent the last 2 days trying to find a simple solution to this problem. Even though my phone is still under manufacturers warranty and Service Providers warranty I decided to just do this as working carefully there will be no indication that the phone has been opened or the "fix" has been applied

    I for one couldn't take my phone to a service centre as they would have booked in my phone and gave me some Nokia 3100 knock-off budget phone for one and the repair would have taken 21 days and having business requirements that my phone needs to meet I decided to just do it myself.

    So I decided to open it up myself and fix it and here is the guide on how to permanently fix the echo that people get when phoning you.

    Problem:
    When you receive or make a call people on the other end of the line hear a echo of themselves and this might be intermittent but seem to be worse when having any type of cover on the phone.

    Reason:
    The reason this occurs is because the speaker depicted in the 3rd photo labelled as "B" has a rubber seal at the bottom of it that has gone loose from the casing by either a drop or some vibration that is making the speaker's sound go into the phone and picked up by the NC (Noise cancellation) microphone shown in the same photo as "A" rather than be isolated and out the speaker hole on the front of the phone.

    Fix:
    This fix is fairly simple and permanent. You only need a 5mm x 12mm piece of cardboard or think paper that is around 0.5mm thick that can be used as a buffer.

    Procedure:

    Step 1:
    Picture 1 Shows the phone screws that should be removed 1st depicted by round red circles. Keep the screws in the same order as you remove them as only 4 of the 7 screws have locktite on them and be sure when you replace them you put them back in the same position.

    Step 2:
    Picture 1 As depicted from 1 to 6 is the easiest way to follow to unclip your back and front cover from one another to not break any of the clips. The back cover is very rugged so don't be afraid to unclip it as it is unlikely to break.

    See Below Picture no1


    Step 3:
    Picture 2 is how it should look like when the back cover has been removed. We will only be focused on the area in the red block called ZZ

    See Below Picture no2

    Step 4:
    Picture 3 shows the 2 components that's interfering with one another. "A" is the NC microphone sensor. Be sure to check that the sensor is properly inserted into the rubber sleeve covering it. "B" is the speaker and is glued with some ridiculously little amount of glue into the housing of "B" and can be lifted with a tweezers or some small object to be able to lift it out of the housing in "B"

    See Below Picture no3


    Step 5:
    Picture 4 Loosen the speaker by just moving it in this aspect north and south a bit until it can be lifted up. Please note the arrow as it flips the way the arrow is pointing to expose the casing it is housed in. Clean out the housing of any dirt and wipe the speaker off as well of any dirt or substance that might elevate the speaker a little bit in its housing.

    Step 6:
    Picture 4 Flip the speaker back into its housing and firmly press it down so that it seats itself well in the housing. The rubber that the speaker is surrounded with should press firmly in the housing to seal it of any noise coming into the phone.

    See Below Picture no4


    Step 7:
    This is where you use the piece of cardboard or thick paper of 5mm x 12mm by 0.5mm thick and place it over the speaker. I recommend cutting up a business card as they are the correct thickness. When looking at Picture 4 the cardboard should be covering the whole red block as depicted by "C" and should look like Picture 5 when placed

    See Below Picture no5


    Step 8:
    Close up the phone and screw everything back together. The piece of cardboard or thick paper will ensure that the casing press the speaker tightly in place and keep it there without letting it leak into the phone to cause the echo effect for people calling you.

    Step 9:
    Enjoy calls without any echo effect.

    This is all very simple to do and my echo has gone away completely. The replacement part they are referencing to in other topics is not really the problem and has nothing to do with it. In the process of replacing that part the speaker gets loosened and removed out of the housing and upon putting the phone back together they securely glue the speaker back in place and thats why they get the same results.

    If this guide helped please post and say so. The problem has no relation to software or anything other than the speaker leaking sound into the phone being picked up by the NC.

    Hope this helps. My phone is working 100% without any issues.
    8
    So I want to make some summary. If you have echo:

    INSTRUCTION


    0. Try to update yr phone to ANDROID 4 & check if echo is gone, if its not help go to step 1. (added on 03 May 2012)

    1. Prepare tools as on picture attached.
    attachment.php


    1. Open yr phone (by screwdriver & piece of sharped plastic card)

    2. Check if original rubber casing that covers the BOTH microphones is fit tight. To be SURE remove the covering over NC Microphone sensor (upper mic (part A) on picture below) completely, put it back ensuring that mic is completely inside the rubber casing, then press it firmly in housing. Take a great care with sensitive parts!

    2a. On the lower side of phone there is another mic, it has same rubber covering like Part A but gray color - make the same remove rubber casing completely, put it back ensuring that mic is completely inside the rubber casing, then press it firmly in housing(check very attentively, use light, magnifier & tweezers if you need).
    attachment.php


    Close the phone.

    3. Check if echo is gone. If No proceed to (4).

    4. Open yr phone again & put piece of business card over speaker (as described on picture below.
    As per toxicdust instruction http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=21314046&postcount=1
    (but do not cover golden contact from right side of the speaker!!!)
    attachment.php

    Close the phone.

    5. Check if echo is gone. If No proceed to (6).

    6. Open the phone & put pieces of rubber as was described on the picture below. DO NOT USE LATEX AS IT CAN BE DESTROYED DURING SHORT TIME - USE LONG LIFE RUBBER!
    attachment.php

    Close the phone.

    7. Check if echo is gone. If No repeat all steps again (more attentively because U are the professional already :) ).

    For more detail information look upper posts of snigade , Toxicdust & Vitsa.

    Do not forget to press thanks button & pls make some remarks in this topic about yr results, it will help other users.
    2
    I have made some useful picture pls check it - hopefully this will help to stop echo...

    By the way some guys going to use balloons. Balloons made from LATEX!!! Do not use it! Latex can be destroyed during year or two.
    Also do not use latex gloves & other latex products :)

    Better slice by sharp blade thin piece from some rubber washer or other "LONG LIFE" rubber.

    Only rubber (or paper) over speaker does not help on most cases.

    Also pay attention that original rubber that covers the microphones (upper & lower) it should be fit tight!!! (I describe it on my picture)
    2
    I tested 3 different brand new phones and all had the issue. Does this mean that Samsung fails to correctly assemble all of it's phones?!

    Think about it this way. Anything comes loose with vibration. Maybe the delivery company man handled the boxes a bit on delivery or the vibration on the phone itself while being shipped could have loosened it as well.

    Remember the Speaker needs to be completely sealed off from the internals of the phone and that's why you need the buffer so that the casing can keep it firmly pressed in place and sealed off from the internals.

    Been on the phone a lot today and every person I ask tells me there is absolutely no echo.

    And that coming from a 100% guaranteed echo for the last month
    2
    so, anyone else tested this?

    I would seem that ppl will probably do it and then not come back to post it worked because my "Thank You" count went up yet no replies

    If your phone does this why not just do it? You have nothing to lose