Speaker Boost app - Page 2

geekmaster · 06-18-2012, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pruss

Here's a user (go down to the leocut post) who says that his speakers gave out after using Volume+. He also says that vibration and notification LED gave out.

I read the entire thread and there are no other reports of damage. That report describes multiple failures (and no speaker distortion before failure), so it was probably something ELSE that failed. It could even be a software or firmware problem.

Unless there is a software problem with the volume+ app, it is unlikely to be the direct cause of his problems. There are plenty of reports of people running it at +15 with no problems.

I like the idea of NOT running the speakers loud enough to hear distortion (which was claimed as symptom of a potentially damaging volume level). Perhaps you could add a warning saying "if you hear speaker distortion, please turn down the volume to protect the speakers" (or something similar).

pruss · 06-18-2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geekmaster

I like the idea of NOT running the speakers loud enough to hear distortion (which was claimed as symptom of a potentially damaging volume level). Perhaps you could add a warning saying "if you hear speaker distortion, please turn down the volume to protect the speakers" (or something similar).

The currently release version has: "If you find the audio screechy, you're likely using too high a volume." Maybe I should change the "screechy" to "distorted"? But right now I don't want to release a new version at this point--I did too many updates, and I've got a home move to do.

If the speaker wire insulation melted, causing a short, that could cause multiple failures, no?

By the way, Speaker Boost's reviews on Android Market are really good: 18 five-star, one four-star (from a user who says the controls are hard to use?!). Of course that's mainly a sign that it boosts the volume, and that's not the question here.

pruss · 07-05-2012, 04:06 PM

Well, with regard to safety, I now have 60000+ downloads in Google Play. A pretty good test bed, albeit mostly for phones and not the Fire. I assume that serious damage to a phone would lead to a one- or two-star reviews. I just skimmed through the one- and two-star reviews (outnumbered 5:1 by the five-star ones) and didn't notice any that allege hardware damage. One says it caused "issues" and one that it caused staticky noise (I think only when in use; I am glad the user discontinued use), and there were a few crashes, but most just complained of it not boosting volume (some I suspect because they were testing with in-call volume rather than media, and others due to some incompatibility).

One four-star review says that the user blew out a set of Samsung earphones by boosting with 100% and turning off the non-uniform-boost safety feature, but the user still seems happy after buying a new set of earphones. :-) Some users report violating the 40% rule with impunity.

We've been watching Amazon prime movies on my wife's Fire for the last couple of days, typically using a boost of 50%, with no problems, and excellent voice understandability due to the boost being focused on mid-range frequencies. This isn't with Speaker Boost but with an unreleased version of VolumeSwipe, but it uses the same boost method.

There are 1590 downloads in the Amazon Appstore, most of them I am guessing for the Fire. There are only four reviews, but they're all five star, with nobody alleging damage.

Ocicat · 07-06-2012, 11:23 AM

Yes, speaker boost works great on the Fire, thanks again. I set it around 25% to get clear voice on internet radio, it also able me to lower the system sound.

I did not install it on other android tablet, does not have poor sound problem.

pruss · 07-06-2012, 02:49 PM

Here's one one-star review that might signal speaker damage: "Had to get A NEW PHONE". No other info given except that Google Play says this was an HTC Evo 3D.

pruss · 07-07-2012, 09:06 AM

And then there is this five star (!) review: "Love it Just got the app today,only bad part is i busted my phone speaker"

geekmaster · 07-07-2012, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pruss

And then there is this five star (!) review: "Love it Just got the app today,only bad part is i busted my phone speaker"

grvthang · 07-07-2012, 03:54 PM

I downloaded it a couple of days ago. I was on vacation and was using my Fire with external speakers in my hotel room. It wasn't loud enough on its own, but with the boost it was great. I don't intend to use the boost with the internal speakers. It worked perfectly for my use.

pruss · 07-09-2012, 10:18 AM

A user on a Galaxy Prevail says "C--- at 20% screwed my speakers up". I think that's a manufacturer problem: a device ought to be able to withstand such a moderate pre-amp.

Hope · 09-06-2012, 12:44 AM

I "possibly" just had Speaker Boost burn out 2 different sets of hamburger-type speakers.
A wire broke on my old xmi hamburger speakers so I ordered a $9 set of knockoff speakers from Amazon and after using the speakers for just a few minutes on my Kindle Fire with Speaker Boost up to about 38, they stopped working entirely.
I then ordered a set of the more expensive xmi speakers and just had them get red hot from a few minutes of use on the Fire with Speaker Boost, same settings, and they have appeared to burn out and no longer work.
I lowered the Speaker Boost to "0" and they started to work again at a low volume...am now charging them again to see if they are all right.
All circumstantial evidence, but very suspicious.

geekmaster · 09-08-2012, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hope

... I lowered the Speaker Boost to "0" and they started to work again at a low volume...

I noticed that the kindle 3 has intermittent audio dropouts when playing audio that is "companded" similar to what is done on some TV advertising to make it sound louder. It has periodic sound dropouts, but it comes back in about a second or so then drops out in another couple of seconds.

It does that even when listening with headphones.

Dropping the volume level a couple of clicks makes the sound play continuously.

I suspect that it is caused by a thermal cutout when a sound chip gets too hot.

Perhaps the Kindle FIre has a similar protection circuit, if it works again at lower volumes as described in the previous post. It may be that some external speakers also have thermal protection.

Jessica Lares · 09-08-2012, 03:25 AM

Amazon shipped the KF with broken sound drivers. I don't know if that has anything to do with the volume levels, but it was something that was fixed in the unofficial builds at XDA once the kernel was upgraded to 3.0 for ICS.

But it coincides with people having issues on the other devices. Just manufacturers making half working compiles, which the app developers get blamed for.

07-05-2012, 04:06 PM	#18
pruss Evangelist Posts: 461 Karma: 819417 Join Date: Nov 2004	Well, with regard to safety, I now have 60000+ downloads in Google Play. A pretty good test bed, albeit mostly for phones and not the Fire. I assume that serious damage to a phone would lead to a one- or two-star reviews. I just skimmed through the one- and two-star reviews (outnumbered 5:1 by the five-star ones) and didn't notice any that allege hardware damage. One says it caused "issues" and one that it caused staticky noise (I think only when in use; I am glad the user discontinued use), and there were a few crashes, but most just complained of it not boosting volume (some I suspect because they were testing with in-call volume rather than media, and others due to some incompatibility). One four-star review says that the user blew out a set of Samsung earphones by boosting with 100% and turning off the non-uniform-boost safety feature, but the user still seems happy after buying a new set of earphones. :-) Some users report violating the 40% rule with impunity. We've been watching Amazon prime movies on my wife's Fire for the last couple of days, typically using a boost of 50%, with no problems, and excellent voice understandability due to the boost being focused on mid-range frequencies. This isn't with Speaker Boost but with an unreleased version of VolumeSwipe, but it uses the same boost method. There are 1590 downloads in the Amazon Appstore, most of them I am guessing for the Fire. There are only four reviews, but they're all five star, with nobody alleging damage. Last edited by pruss; 07-05-2012 at 04:12 PM.

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07-06-2012, 11:23 AM	#19
Ocicat Groupie Posts: 167 Karma: 654320 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA-France Device: Librie,PRS900,950,K4, KT, PW1&2, KV	Yes, speaker boost works great on the Fire, thanks again. I set it around 25% to get clear voice on internet radio, it also able me to lower the system sound. I did not install it on other android tablet, does not have poor sound problem.

07-06-2012, 02:49 PM	#20
pruss Evangelist Posts: 461 Karma: 819417 Join Date: Nov 2004	Here's one one-star review that might signal speaker damage: "Had to get A NEW PHONE". No other info given except that Google Play says this was an HTC Evo 3D.

07-07-2012, 09:06 AM	#21
pruss Evangelist Posts: 461 Karma: 819417 Join Date: Nov 2004	And then there is this five star (!) review: "Love it Just got the app today,only bad part is i busted my phone speaker"

07-07-2012, 03:54 PM	#23
grvthang Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 53472 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Brooklyn NY Device: Kindle Fire, Droid Incredible2, Kindle Touch	I downloaded it a couple of days ago. I was on vacation and was using my Fire with external speakers in my hotel room. It wasn't loud enough on its own, but with the boost it was great. I don't intend to use the boost with the internal speakers. It worked perfectly for my use.

07-09-2012, 10:18 AM	#24
pruss Evangelist Posts: 461 Karma: 819417 Join Date: Nov 2004	A user on a Galaxy Prevail says "C--- at 20% screwed my speakers up". I think that's a manufacturer problem: a device ought to be able to withstand such a moderate pre-amp.

09-06-2012, 12:44 AM	#25
Hope Zealot Posts: 147 Karma: 1052536 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: PocketBook 360 Plus, Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2	I "possibly" just had Speaker Boost burn out 2 different sets of hamburger-type speakers. A wire broke on my old xmi hamburger speakers so I ordered a $9 set of knockoff speakers from Amazon and after using the speakers for just a few minutes on my Kindle Fire with Speaker Boost up to about 38, they stopped working entirely. I then ordered a set of the more expensive xmi speakers and just had them get red hot from a few minutes of use on the Fire with Speaker Boost, same settings, and they have appeared to burn out and no longer work. I lowered the Speaker Boost to "0" and they started to work again at a low volume...am now charging them again to see if they are all right. All circumstantial evidence, but very suspicious.

09-08-2012, 03:25 AM	#27
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	Amazon shipped the KF with broken sound drivers. I don't know if that has anything to do with the volume levels, but it was something that was fixed in the unofficial builds at XDA once the kernel was upgraded to 3.0 for ICS. But it coincides with people having issues on the other devices. Just manufacturers making half working compiles, which the app developers get blamed for.

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