Audiovox 9500 Volume!

[pjrivera03]

I just recieved my phone three days ago and I love it. It is kinda a big, but its thin enough for my pocket, has a great screen, and the reception is unbelievable. I've gone through countless phones (12) over the past few years and they have all dropped calls like crazy in my nieghborhood, where there is a hole in Verizon's coverage. This is the first phone not to drop the calls and people can't even tell I'm calling off a cell phone. And this is an a hole in there network.

However, the phone's inner speaker isn't loud at all. When I make calls sometimes, I can barely here the person I'm talking to, is this normal? Specially when I'm in the car I can barely here what someone is saying (I'm not talking about the speakerphone). Is everyones volume usually this low, is there any thing I can do. I really love the phone, but should i look into the LG 4400 for a a louder volume or should I just swap out.

(Also if anyone is reading from the www.cdmangels.com forum, why is the website always down, it seems that every other day I can't access it, like today.)

[AnthroMatt]

Yeah, I just joined that site and it does seem to have its share of problems.

As for the volume, I noticed that you need to have the phone almost perfectly positioned against your ear. I have not had volume problems unless if I have the phone well placed against my ear. If it moves away from the "sweet spot" then the volumes seems to go way down.

[pjrivera03]

Thanks for the reply. Why did you end up returning the the LG 4400, and out of the two which one gets better reception?

-THANKS

[AnthroMatt]

Both phones got good reception, but there is a Verizon tower about 1/4 mile from my place, so just about any phone should get good reception where I am. The 4400 felt cheap, or at least cheaper and flimsier than the 9500 (but better than the Moto T720). Also, the ringer speaker on the 4400 was terrible, sounded garbled as if it had been blown out. I don't think the 4400 is a bad phone, but I felt much more confident that the 9500 would last longer.

The 4400 gets superior battery life though, which almost made me keep it. In the end I decided to go with a manufacturer with a better track record for building quality phones, so I returned the LG in favor of the Audiovox.

[BUmmedic]

The volume on mine was pretty low, too. The sweet spot is great, but small, and the volume increases dramatically once you find it. I always tend to hold the flip angled a little away from my face to avoid excessive contact with my cheek and to avoid getting lots of skin oil on the screen, but when I hold it closer and find the sweet spot, 4/5 volume bars is plenty loud for me.

- Fred

[wyldekard]

I agree about the sweet spot. I think I 've also got a problem with the speakerphone. Loud rings are not a problem and the tone it emits when you increase the volume is fine, but when someone is actually speaking to me over it, it crackles like the speaker is broken or it is being severely overdriven or it could be both. At the third level or lower it is fine or at least I can't hear the problem. I have hearing difficulty and the cab of my truck is fairly noisy, so I have to max out the speaker. Is anyone else having this problem?

[AnthroMatt]

When I have the speakerphone volume at the max level it sounds just as you have described it. For whatever reason I think this tends to be a cell phone with speakerphone issue rather than being particular to the 9500. I tried the Kyovera 3035 for a while, it's speakerphone was even worse than the 9500's.

The only speakerphone that sounds any good at all, in my experience, is the one on the Motorola Timeport 270c. The 270c speakerphone is better than any landline speakerphone I have ever used. Come to think of it the speakerphone on the 9500 is better than that on the phone hanging in my kitchen! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[pjrivera03]

Thanks WyleKard and Bummedic! I found the sweat spot I think, when I move the phone around and down a little bit, its much louder. I will test it all day today and hoepfully I will remember to move the phone around my ear and that should fix my problem. Thanks again, now I don't have to got through the hassle of returning the phone.

[wyldekard]

Thanks AnthroMatt for the info. I was really reluctant to take mine in for an exchange because I had just finished getting all my phone numbers in. Since I can't hear worth a crap anyways, I'll just go buy an earset. Any recommendations?

[AnthroMatt]

I bought a little JABRA boom headset on eBay for $8 with free shipping. It works great, but I wish it had an on/off button so that I could use the voice dialing without ever having to open the phone. I am still looking for a decent boom mike headset with an on/off button, so if you come across one, let me know! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[mikes]

Just saw something on the CDMAngels forum about a software upgrade possibly helping with the earpiece volume. My local Verozon store knew nothing about the software upgrade (no surprise as they're not very sharp at that store). I suggest eveyone try to check this out and post for the rest of us.

Also - the CDMAngels site seems to be working alittle better and you'll find a lot of people really dedicated to making our phones better over there.

[wyldekard]

I couldn't find anything with a button in my area. I've found that the earbud ones make my ear sore after a while on a long trip, so I ended up buying a Plantonics headset as a temporary measure. It does have an adjustment on the boom mike for gain and I've been told that I sound pretty good on the other end with it. It covers one ear like a stereo headphones and it is comfortable on my ear. The only problem I have with it is apparently my head is a lot bigger than the head of the model they used. To quote Bill D. from King of the Hill "how'd my head get so fat, Hank"? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

[AnthroMatt]

I saw a Belkin boom mic with on/off buttons in Circuit City today for $19.99, but I had just spent almost $250 to replace my car stereo and antenna that was stolen a few weeks ago. I couldn't handle driving in silence any more...needless to say I didn't feel like spending any more money, even if it was only 20 bucks. Maybe someone else can go down to a CC and test it out for me. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[pjrivera03]

Man this Volume thing is getting annoying. I think I found the sweat spot but the colume is still kinda hard to hear and I exchanged the phone for another one, same problem. I'm in my 20's and far as I know my hearing should be fine, lol. Man I'm going to be dissapointed if I have to get an LG, this phone is so great, but half the time when people call I can't make out what there saying. I have a full signal and I can here them talking, but not exactly what there saying. Do you guys think a hands-free-kit would fix this. I don't know when I'm going to have time to stop and get one and I have to send the phone out soon if I need to get the LG, sooner then I have the chance to buy a kit.

So would a hands-free-kit fix my volume problem (and I can go pick one up this weekend) or should I just get a different phone (and mail this one out to Verizon)!

[AnthroMatt]

Yeah, a hands-free kit (just a headphone) will work. I have actually found the highest volume level to be too loud, so I am sorry to hear that you are still having problems.

I used my headphone/boom mic setup today while canceling a magazine subscription and the volume was more than adequate. I turned the volume down to the half setting.

If you do get the LG your volume issues will definitely be solved...that phone is too loud (for me) even on the lowest setting, I found that almost as annoying as a very low volume.

[mikes]

A hands free kit will definately take care of your troubles with the volume. Also, the software upgrade is supposed to help with the volume as well. Audiovox claims that the latest software version for Verizon phones is 111.033 although I can't find a tech in the Chicago area that hase the upgrade yet.

I spoke with a few techs about this and both said to me (on the side) that the CDM 9500 is the tech's favorite phone. Few seem to be coming in for repair and reception can't be beat.

Just an FYI - I'd hate to have you move to an LG and be worse off.

[AnthroMatt]

Originally posted by: mikes

Just an FYI - I'd hate to have you move to an LG and be worse off.

I agree...I think from what I have been reading in here that I am one of the few people that have actually used both phones (though I hope there are more out there), not just tried both in the store. The LG 4400 is not bad, but with LG's sketchy track record and the fact they are already falling apart (the little rubber things-a minor part, yet a detail that should not have passed quality control) made me nervous to stay with LG.

[pjrivera03]

Thanks guys, everywhere I go people love the phone and the quality is great, but half the time I can't use it. But if a head-set fixes it, I will take yours guy word for it, and trust you. What kind of headset do you use Anthromatt, the Jabra with the mini extended mic or the one with the earpiece and mic all in one. How does it work? How do you answer calls or change volume while in conversation. Does anyone have any good recommendations for the hand-free-kits that are LOUd, lol? Thanks again! (Not to expensive though)

[pjrivera03]

Yeah Mikes I first talked to tech guy a few days and he said they had software 111.031 out. But I call Verizon today and no one knew what I was talking about. The guy said the phone was to new for upgrades yet and that the phone didn't need any because it was so Great, which made me feel better about staying with the Audiovox. But he knew nothing; Verizon has some serious communication and training issues with there REPS.!

[BUmmedic]

Don't take my word for it, but before the CDMAngels forum went down there was a large forum topic on software upgrades. Apparently, some have gotten the 111.031 upgrade and I guess it fixes the volume issue somewhat. However, when they contacted Verizon and Audiovox about newer upgrades... there is a 111.033 out, but it was said that it's not compatible with Verizon??? Don't know if this is true, and even though I love my phone and have never had a problem with Verizon, I'm wondering if this is an upgrade that might add some functionality to our beloved 9500's that Verizon doesn't want us to have. Who knows? I like my phone, the volume issue was solved when I found the sweet spot, and I can wait for things like wallpapers and personal ringer uploads. After all, my phone is a phone, not a picture album or jukebox (hell, the only time my ringer is on audible alert is when I'm lounging around at home). Later...

- Fred

[pjrivera03]

lol, I'm the one who started the software update topic and it seems like I can't even get my software updated. I hope it does fix the problem. And i hope Verizon gets there act together. I'm going to call Audiovox tomorrow and hopefully they'll have something for me (info. wise).

[AnthroMatt]

I have the JABRA with the mini boom mic. It works well and I have not heard any bad things about the one withthe combo earpiece and mic in one. I would get one that has an on/off button though. The BodyGlove Earglove has this, as does a Belkin model I saw in Circuit City for $19.99. With the little button you can use voice dial and begin and end calls without ever opening the phone. With the one I have now I need to open the phone to use voice dial, and then I close the phone once the call is connected, IT is a little inconvienient. I think I will ttry and get my hands on one with an on/off button.

[pjrivera03]

Originally posted by: mikes
A hands free kit will definately take care of your troubles with the volume. Also, the software upgrade is supposed to help with the volume as well. Audiovox claims that the latest software version for Verizon phones is 111.033 although I can't find a tech in the Chicago area that hase the upgrade yet.

I spoke with a few techs about this and both said to me (on the side) that the CDM 9500 is the tech's favorite phone. Few seem to be coming in for repair and reception can't be beat.

Just an FYI - I'd hate to have you move to an LG and be worse off.

Well I just got off the phone with Audiovox and they said the software upgrade does not effect volume at all and it will stay the same. The only thing they told me to do was to swap out the phone or mail my phone to them and they can look at it. And I thought about it some more, about the hands-fre-kit and everytime I'm out somewhere I don't want to have a hands-free-kit connected, especially when I'm in a hurry or running in between classes at college and have to make a quick call (where for some wierd reason I can't hear anything.) Does anyone else have any recommendations? IF I shouldn't go for the LG 4400 what phone should I maybe look into replacing the audiovox, thats next best to get with loud volume. Any recommendations?