Microphones swapped in CSD tests – only on Xperia X Compact?

asked 2019-05-01 14:54:37 +0300

5879 ●73 ●103 ●101

updated 2019-05-02 09:37:21 +0300

TL;DR

The microphones on my Xperia X Compact appear to have been swapped. Can users with this model or a normal Xperia X help to verify if it's something specific to the Xperia X Compact or if it affects Xperia X as well?

Longer story

About one month ago I flashed my Sony Xperia X Compact with the official Xperia X image, patched with this excellent script created by @g7. Since then, people I speak to on the phone complain about hearing their own voice. Today I checked the microphones with the CSD tool to see if they work, and they seemed to, but then this question inspired me to test the microphones by tapping right on them, and it turned out that the sound is much loader when tapping on the "wrong" microphone. My guess is that the microphones have been swapped in some configuration. It would also explain why people on the other end of a phone call hear themselves – if the top microphone is used instead of the lower one, it would pick up a lot of the sound from the speaker.

EDIT: It seems like the tests give the same result for both the X and the XC, but that the microphones aren't actually swapped during calls. My echo problems must be caused by something else. The CSD tool should probably be fixed, though.

How to test

Start the CSD tool: go to Settings > About Product and tap five times on the version number next to Build
Go to Individual tests
Run the below TEST for these four combinations:
- Run test Audio below microphone and tap on the lower microphone
- Run test Audio below microphone but tap on the top microphone
- Run test Audio above microphone and tap on the top microphone
- Run test Audio above microphone but tap on the lower microphone
TEST
- Start the test (Record)
- Tap a few times with your finger nail or blow carefully right on the microphone
- Stop, play and listen: is the sound loud and clear?
Compare the sound levels. Do the microphones seem to work as expected, or have they been swapped?

Thank you!

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answered 2019-05-01 16:23:22 +0300

Manatus
5188 ●58 ●79 ●74

updated 2019-05-01 16:25:39 +0300

I get the same results with both X Compact and X. Both have lower volume for lower mic/speaker hole when doing the low test. High test has them equally loud on both.

I guess it may be a mixer thing where the closest to mouth piece for lower mic has intentionally lower volume to prevent distortion or being too loud.

Note: people have not said to me that their voices would echo when they call me, and I have calls daily.

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Comments

Did you tap on the top of the phone, on the tiny, round hole next to the audio socket? When I do that for "Audio below microphone" test, it's much loader than when I tap on the same spot while running the "Audio above microphone" test.

luen ( 2019-05-01 16:32:21 +0300 )edit

It's also possible to test by carefully blowing right on the mic. It's pretty clear to me that the sound is picked up from the wrong microphone rather than being caused by a mixer level.

luen ( 2019-05-01 16:36:41 +0300 )edit

Just the top and bottom parts when the phone was on the table to get a better tap. I now tapped directly to holes (and usb in case of compact).

Both X and XC still operate the same way, but I was now also able to notice the same pattern; taps volumes seem reversed on both. Still not sure it means it is not by design, as the other mic is used for noise cancellation, and it may need to hear better.

Manatus ( 2019-05-01 16:44:15 +0300 )edit

Even if they were reversed (they might), I don't think it would be causing the echo; those are usually operator gear related. I usually get echos with my work Android phone when I call people further off distances.

Manatus ( 2019-05-01 16:47:19 +0300 )edit

It's quite simple to verify that the sound to the "Audio below microphone" test is picked from the top microphone (and vice versa):

Run the "Audio below microphone" test and blow on the top microphone
Run the "Audio below microphone" test and blow on a spot outside the phone, on a distance from the lower microphone that's equal to the distance between the microphones

When I do that, the sound from when blowing on the top microphone is a very loud while the sound when blowing outside of the phone is almost not noticeable, which IMO makes it quite obvious that the sound to the "Audio below microphone" test indeed is picked up from the top microphone. If the mixer levels would be the only cause of the differences, and the sound to the "Audio below microphone" actually would have been picked up by the lower microphone, I'd expect the sound to be equally loud when running the same test and blowing on different places but at the same distance from the microphone.

luen ( 2019-05-01 17:05:22 +0300 )edit

1

answered 2019-06-05 10:32:05 +0300

Sunny
733 ●15 ●25 ●25

I can confirm that microphones are wrong mapped corresponding to the CSD tool on my Xperia X too (Hossa)! But, during regular phone call (on ear), the _correct_ microphone is in use, the _lower_ one.

In hands-free-mode, the _upper_ microphone is in use/primary source. I guess that's also intentional – don't use hands-free mode much.

While we're about microphones:

Fortunately, the Xperia X has the same excellent audio quality like my earlier Jolla phone 1! Really, GSM isn't G722 and even not close to G711 (ISDN). But JP1 and XperiaX provide outstanding GSM audio/articulation quality. For me it's hard to understand any other mobile calling partner, which isn't a matter of GSM encoding soleyly, but of very poor device design. The JP1 and now also the Xperia X are astonishing exceptions and prove that it's possible to get good/acceptable GSM quality !!!

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answered 2019-10-21 02:02:12 +0300

flanker
226 ●4 ●6 ●6

So, is there any solution for echoes?

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Microphones swapped in CSD tests – only on Xperia X Compact?

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Microphones swapped in CSD tests – only on Xperia X Compact?

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