My Samsung S9 gets distorted call sound with v4

/e/OS Foundation & Community
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I posted a message as a feedback for v4 three days ago, but I’ve got no answer so far. So I try again here.

I bought my Samsung S9 in 2021, and it worked well with all e-OS versions so far.

But since I updated to version 4.0, the sound is very distorted and incomprehensible when I call someone, and also now when someone calls me. A phone system that no longer gives me the possibility to make a phone call is just absurd and very limiting (and annoying).

What should I do? Is there a setting that needs to be corrected? Or is it a compatibility issue of the Samsung S9 with this new version? Is there a possibility to go back to version 3.7? Or do I have no choice but to buy a new device?

Thank you in advance for your help!

2 Likes
Feedback for v4.0
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  1. Wait for e-4.1-a15 to see if bug is corrected (you can have a look at the /e/ gitlag issues)
  2. Reinstall the recovery-e-3.7.1-s and then e-3.7.1-s
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Same phone (S9+), same problem. Over the air upgrade from 3.7 to 4.0, now 4.1.

Phone rendered useless for calls that have serious sound issues - often sounds like “chipmunks”. Even dialling noise is accelerated and high pitch. Phone, Signal and Snapchat.

Rebooting phone sometimes temporarily allows a call to work, but then back to sound cuts and chipmunks.

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@Nyman, @dorothy96 are you aware of the difficulties that /e/OS (and most custom ROMs) Samsung releases have with volte ?

I am guessing that you did not experience this before. In which case it might indicate that your carriers have continued with 3G.

If the upgrade might have changed your carrier configuration in some way … then you might suddenly be using 4G and VoLTE.

If this seems a possibility can you change to using 3G?

Perhaps first to test / try

Settings > Network and internet > Internet > your_carrier → :gear: … on this page look for options to change VoLTE and Preferred network type.

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Thank you for this useful reply. Indeed I think this is the problem with some Samsung phones including the S9+. I have since found a number of posts explaining this.

I don’t have the voLTE option visible in network preferences but other forum members suggest changing preferred network type from LTE to 3g. I’m trying this currently. It’s not ideal as data speed is lower, but if it works I can live with that until my country phases out 3g in a year or so.

Apparently the problem is that the VoLTE on these older Samsung phones is enabled by a proprietary blob of code that is not currently in e/os.

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if the sound is the same on all three, it should be more about audio plumbing. Signal and Snapchat are outside telco volte things. But you’d need to be sure about them having the same distortion.

Still, @dorothy96 there’s now an unofficial build that includes an open ims/volte stack for the S9. Changing to that build would reset your userdata though.

But I don’t think your issue at hand is about ims.

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Yes you are right. I switched to 3g and just a few hours later phone and Snapchat calls are back to unusable chipmunk sounds.

I flashed my s9+ with the e/os easyinstaller. For the community build, does this mean TWRP and custom ROM installation? I could be tempted to try it…

My main reservation is that the official OTA build might get fixed and updated automatically. Which would be great! Perhaps v4.2…

Thanks!

PS Snapchat = teenage kids. Signal with everyone else. I lost that battle :wink:

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there were a few “chipmunk” voice issue in the past on other devices. Their resolution was in disabling stereo mic input and force mono: High-pitched voices with Teams (was Skype) on FP4 with /e/OS 3.4 (#7790) · Issues · e / Backlog · GitLab or for example https://review.lineageos.org/c/LineageOS/android_device_oneplus_billie/+/412336

unsure if that applies to your situation and the S9, as you say it’s not only for receivers of your call, but also the incoming voice is high-pitched.