Blackberry Troubleshooting
Distorted Audio

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Try the following actions to resolve the issue. If the issue persists, proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

Try to duplicate the issue

Validate that you understand the symptoms being experienced. For example, make a phone call or play a ring tone. While the ring tone is playing, change volume and audio settings to make sure the speaker and microphone are functioning. Use the audio keys on the side of the BlackBerry smartphone to raise and lower the volume.

Check audio settings

Check the volume settings and adjust as necessary.

You can also increase the default volume for calls. The higher the volume percentage, the louder the volume. To change the default volume for calls, complete the following steps:

For BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 to 5.0

  1. In the phone application, press the Menu key.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Click General Options.
  4. Change the Default Call Volume field.
  5. Press the Menu key.
  6. Click Save.

For BlackBerry Device Software 6.0

  1. In the phone application, press the Menu key.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Click In-call Settings.
  4. Change the Default Call Volume field.
  5. Press the Menu key.
  6. Click Save.

Test any accessories

If you were using an accessory when you  experienced the audio issue, remove the accessory, and then test the BlackBerry smartphone speaker. Accessories might include one of the following:

If the issue occurs only when using an accessory, the issue might be with the accessory and not the BlackBerry smartphone. If the accessory is not an approved BlackBerry accessory, contact the manufacturer for further technical support.

Inspect the earpiece jack

Check to see whether an earbud or stereo headset is used with the BlackBerry smartphone. A part may be dislodged in the earpiece jack, causing the audio problem.

Improve sound quality for all calls

Note: You cannot change sound quality when you are using a Bluetooth ® enabled headset.

To improve sound quality, complete the following steps:

  1. In the phone application, press the Menu key.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Click Enhanced Audio.
  4. Change the Phone Call Audio or Headset Call Audio fields.
  5. Press the Menu key.
  6. Click Save.

Check the signal strength

You might experience issues with voice quality if you have low or intermittent signal strength. The signal strength of a BlackBerry smartphone should be between –40 and –100 dBms.
To check the signal strength of a BlackBerry smartphone, complete the following steps:

  1. On the Home screen, click Options.
  2. Click Status.
  3. Check the signal value. The value should be between –40 and –100 dBms.
    Note: You can press and hold the Alt key, and then type "nmll" to change the signal indicator bars to the numerical value. Repeat this step to again display the signal strength bars.

If the signal strength is good, think where you were when you experienced the issue and if you noticed if the signal strength was low. In areas where signal strength weakens and causes the signal to become blocked by tall buildings, terrain, landscape, and physical distance, moving to an open area might help improve the voice quality.

Perform a hard reset

A hard reset is similar to restarting a computer that stops responding. A hard reset closes all running BlackBerry applications, restarts the BlackBerry smartphone operating system, and restarts the hardware components of the BlackBerry smartphone, including the wireless transceiver.

Note: A hard reset does not delete any settings or data on the BlackBerry smartphone.

To perform a hard reset, complete the following steps:

  1. Turn the BlackBerry smartphone off.
  2. Remove the battery.
  3. Reinsert the battery.
  4. Wait for the BlackBerry smartphone to turn on.

Note: If the issue returns after performing a hard reset, then contact technical support for further investigation.

Update the BlackBerry Device Software

You can download the latest version of Blackberry Device Software from www.blackberry.com/update. Follow the instructions on the screen to download the latest version currently available from your wireless service provider.

If the problem persists, follow your wireless service provider's procedures to service or return the BlackBerry smartphone.

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